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CALhofihelAST 

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THE   CALL   OF  THE   EAST 


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They  came  over  the  last  bluff 


(See  page  i86.) 


THE 
CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

A  ROMANCE  OF  FAR  FORMOSA 


BY 

THURLOW  FRASER 


Illustrated 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming   H.    Revell    Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1914,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  125  N.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  100  Princes  Street 


Her  who  shared  my  life  and 
suffered  in  the  Beautiful  Isle 


ivi514(]40 


FOREWORD 

IN  every  port  of  the  Orient  the  outposts  of  the 
restless,  aggressive  West  touch  the  Hues  of  the 
impassive  East.  Consuls,  military  and  naval  of- 
ficers, merchants,  missionaries  force  the  ideas  and 
ideals  of  the  West  upon  the  reluctant  East.  Many  of 
these  representatives  of  western  civilization  are  true 
to  the  high  standards  of  the  nations  and  religions  from 
which  they  come.  Many  others  fall  to  the  level,  and 
below  the  level,  of  those  they  live  among. 

This  story  is  an  attempt  to  picture  this  life  where 
the  East  meets  the  West,  in  one  small  port  and  for 
the  one  short  period  covered  by  the  Franco-Chinese 
War  of  1884-85.  Of  the  characters  one.  Dr.  Mac- 
Kay,  is  unhesitatingly  called  by  his  own  name.  Ser- 
geant Gorman  and  one  or  two  others  of  the  subordi- 
nate figures  are  drawn  from  life.  The  rest,  including 
the  principal  actors,  are  purely  imaginary. 

T.  F. 
Owen  Sound,  Ont. 


CONTENTS 

I. 

Storm  Signals 13 

II. 

A  Lull    .       .       .       .       . 

18 

III. 

The  Typhoon 

.     27 

IV. 

Parried 

.    41 

V. 

Introductions 

.     52 

VI. 

On  the  Defensive 

60 

VII. 

Sparring  for  Advantage  . 

70 

VIII. 

Sinclair's  Opportunity    . 

85 

IX. 

A  Quiet  Life 

93 

X. 

Glorious  War 

.  104 

XL 

The  Life-Healer  Is  Come 

.  112 

XII. 

Matutinal  Confidences    . 

.  123 

XIII. 

More  Confidences 

.  133 

XIV. 

The  Appeal  of  the  Heroic 

.  139 

XV. 

The  Lure  of  the  East 

•  147 

XVI. 

Sergeant  Whatisname  . 

.  159 

XVII. 

Wolves  and  Their  Prey    . 

.  171 

XVIII. 

To  THE  Rescue     . 

.  183 

XIX. 

Allister 

.  190 

10 

CONTENTS 

XX. 

The  Infallible  Experts 

.       .       .199 

XXI. 

The  Language  of  Song 

.  208 

XXII. 

Halcyon  Days 

.       .       .  213 

XXIII. 

Impending  Storms 

.  220 

XXIV. 

The  Ball  Begins  . 

.       .       .  231 

XXV. 

The  Ball  Proceeds 

.       .       .  242 

XXVI. 

A  Game  of  Ball    . 

.  249 

XXVII. 

The  Charge  of  the  Tamsuj 

[  Blues  .  256 

XXVIII. 

Unholy  Confessors 

.  262 

XXIX. 

Flags  of  Truce 

.  270 

XXX. 

The  Mystery  of  Love  . 

.       .  278 

XXXI. 

Ancestors  and  Pedigrees 

.  287 

XXXII. 

A  Man  and  a  Woman  . 

.  294 

XXXIII. 

My  Children  in  the  Lord 

.  298 

XXXIV. 

The  Soldier  of  the  Legion 

•       .  303 

XXXV. 

The  Language  of  Paradise 

.       .  312 

XXXVI. 

An  Apparition 

•       •  319 

XXXVII. 

"  My  Son  !  My  Son  !  "   .       . 

•       .  324 

XXXVIII. 

Rejected  .... 

•     •  a3o 

XXXIX. 

A  Realized  Dream 

.     .  338 

XL. 

The  Coward     . 

•     •  342 

XLI. 

"  Good  Will  Toward  Men  ' 

'     .     .  348 

ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


They  came  over  the  last  bluff  ....  Title 

Sinclair  threw  off  his  coat,  rolled  up  his  sleeves, 

and  went  to  work 115 

A  yell  from  one  of  the  Chinese  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  Sinclair  and  Gorman    ....     259 

"I'll  be  thinking  of  you,  Donald,  and  you'll  be 

thinking- of  me " 297 


STORM  SIGNALS 

"  ir^ARDON  me.  Miss  MacAllister!    Is  there  any 

1^   way  in  which  I  can  be  of  service  to  you?  " 

•*•  The  young  lady  addressed  turned  quickly 

from  the  deck-rail  on  which  she  had  been  leaning, 
and  With  a  defiant  toss  of  her  head  faced  her  ques- 
tioner. A  hot  flush  of  resentment  chased  from  her 
face  the  undeniable  pallor  of  a  moment  before. 

"  In  what  way  do  you  think  you  can  be  of  service 
to  me,  Mr.  Sinclair  ?  "  she  demanded  sharply. 

"  I  thought  that  you  were  ill,  and " 

"  And  is  it  so  uncommon  to  be  sea-sick,  or  is  it  such 
a  dangerous  ailment,  that  at  the  first  symptom  the  pa- 
tient must  be  cared  for  as  if  she  had  the  plague?  '* 

"  Perhaps  not !  But  I  am  told  that  it  is  uncom- 
fortable." 

There  was  a  humorous  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  At  the 
sight  of  it  hers  flashed,  and  the  flame  of  her  anger 
rose  higher. 

**  From  that  I  am  to  understand,  Mr.  Sinclair,  that 
you  are  one  of  those  superior  beings  who  never  suffer 
from  sea-sickness." 

"  I  must  confess  to  belonging  to  that  class,"  he  re- 
plied good-humouredly.  "  I  have  never  experienced 
its  qualms." 

"  Then  I  abominate  such  people.  They  call  them- 
selves *  good  sailors.'  They  offer  sympathy  to  others, 
and  all  the  while  are  laughing  in  their  sleeves.    They 

13 


14  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

are  insufferable  prigs.  I  want  none  of  their  sym- 
pathy." 

"  But,  Miss  MacAllister,  you  misunderstand  me.  I 
am  not  offering  you  empty  sympathy.  I  am  a  medical 
doctor,  and  for  the  present  am  in  charge  of  the  health 
of  the  passengers  on  this  ship." 

'*  Then,  Dr.  Sinclair,  I  am  not  in  need  of  your  care. 
I  never  yet  saw  a  doctor  who  could  do  anything  for 
sea-sickness.  Their  treatment  is  all  make-believe. 
They  know  no  more  about  it  than  any  one  else.  I  do 
not  propose  to  be  the  subject  of  experiments.  Good- 
evening." 

She  was  again  leaning  on  the  rail,  in  an  attitude 
which  belied  her  defiant  words. 

"  Good-evening,"  replied  the  young  doctor,  as  he 
turned  away  with  a  scarcely  perceptible  shrug  of  his 
shoulders,  and  with  an  expression  of  mingled  amuse- 
ment and  annoyance  on  his  face.  A  low  chuckle  of 
laughter  caught  his  ear.  He  was  passing  the  cabin 
of  the  chief  officer,  and  the  door  stood  open. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Mr.  McLeod?"  he 
asked,  the  shade  of  annoyance  passing  from  his  face, 
and  a  good-humoured  laugh  taking  its  place. 

"  Come  in  and  close  the  door." 

"You  heard  what  she  said?" 

"Yes.     How  do  you  feel  after  that,  doctor?" 

"Withered;  ready  to  blow  away  like  a  dry  leaf  in 
autumn ! " 

"  You  look  it,"  laughed  the  mate,  as  he  glanced  ad- 
miringly at  the  big,  handsome  man  who  seemed  to 
take  up  all  the  available  space  in  the  little  cabin,  and 
who  was  laughing  as  heartily  as  if  some  one  else  had 
suffered  instead  of  himself. 

"  Isn't  she  a  haughty  one?"  continued  the  chief. 


STORM  SIGNALS  15 

"  Who  is  she,  anyway  ?  The  captain  made  us  ac- 
quainted. But  you  know  he  doesn't  go  into  particu- 
lars. She  was  Miss  MacAUister.  I  was  Sinclair. 
That  was  our  first  encounter.  You  witnessed  the 
second." 

"  Her  father  is  senior  member  of  the  big  London 
firm  of  *  MacAUister,  Munro  Co.,  China  Merchants.' 
They  have  hongs  at  every  open  port  on  the  China 
Coast.  He  is  making  an  inspection  of  all  their  agencies 
and  has  brought  his  wife  and  daughter  along  for  com- 
pany. Being  a  Scot,  he  likes  to  keep  on  good  terms 
with  the  Lord,  who  is  the  giver  of  all  good  gifts. 
So  he  is  mixing  religion  with  business.  In  the  inter- 
vals between  examining  accounts  and  sizing  up  the 
stock  in  their  godowns,  he  is  visiting  missions,  seeing 
that  the  missionaries  are  up  to  their  pidgin,  and  preach- 
ing to  the  natives  through  interpreters." 

"  Easy  seeing,  McLeod,  that  you're  a  Scot  your- 
self, or  the  son  of  a  Scot,  from  your  faculty  of  ac- 
quiring things.  Where  did  you  get  all  this  about  the 
MacAllisters  ?  They  joined  us  only  this  afternoon 
at  Amoy." 

"  Oh,  yes !  But  they  were  with  us  from  Hong- 
Kong  to  Swatow  last  trip.  You  missed  that,  doctor, 
by  going  over  to  Canton.  Miss  MacAUister  and  I  got 
quite  chummy.  Bright  moonlight;  dead  calm;  too 
hot  to  turn  in  and  sleep !  So  we  just  sat  out  or  strolled 
up  and  down  nearly  all  night.  If  you  had  been 
there,  I  should  have  had  no  show.  See  what  you 
missed." 

"  If  what  I  got  to-day  be  a  fair  sample  of  what  I 
missed  last  trip,  you're  welcome  to  it." 

The  mate  laid  back  his  head  and  laughed  with  boy- 
ish glee  at  the  rueful  look  which  came  over  his  friend's. 


16  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

countenance,  at  the  mere  memory  of  the  stinging  re- 
buff he  had  suffered. 

''  Do  not  imagine  that  your  lady  friend  is  always 
in  the  humour  she  showed  to-day,  doctor.  She  is 
pretty  sick,  and  for  the  first  time,  too.  She  told  me 
before  what  a  good  sailor  she  was.  Never  missed  a 
meal  at  sea !    Never  had  an  inclination  to  turn  over !  " 

"  Did  she  say  that,  McLeod  ?  That  she  was  a  '  good 
sailor'?'' 

"  Yes." 

"  The  vixen !  And  then  you  heard  the  way  she  has 
just  soaked  it  to  me  for  being  a  *  good  sailor.'  " 

McLeod  shook  with  laughter. 

"  Don't  be  too  hard  on  her,  doctor.  She  has  got 
it  good  and  plenty  this  time,  and  she's  disgusted  with 
herself,  disgusted  with  the  sea,  the  boat,  and  every- 
thing and  everybody  connected  with  them." 

^*  She  doesn't  hesitate  to  express  her  disgust,"  re- 
plied the  doctor.  *'I  blundered  upon  her  at  an  un- 
lucky moment  and  received  the  full  contents  of  the 
vials  of  her  wrath." 

**  Never  mind ;  she  will  soon  get  over  this.  Then  she 
will  be  quite  angelic." 

"  I  guess  she  got  some  Chinese  chow  at  Amoy, 
which  didn't  agree  with  her." 

"  Perhaps !  But  it  doesn't  need  any  chow  to  turn 
over  even  good  sailors  on  a  sea  like  this.  The  Channel 
can  be  dirty  when  it  likes.  This  is  one  of  the  times 
it  has  chosen  to  be  dirtier  than  usual." 

The  two  young  men  had  stepped  out  of  the  mate's 
cabin  and  were  leaning  on  the  rail  looking  at  the  tur- 
bulent sea  through  which  they  were  steaming.  The 
coast-line  had  already  faded  out  of  sight  in  the  gath- 
ering gloom,  but  away  to  the  northwest  a  great  white 


STORM  SIGNALS  17 

light  winked  at  slow  intervals  of  a  minute.  The  tide 
was  setting  strongly  in  a  southerly  direction,  and  the 
ship  was  breasting  almost  directly  against  it.  The 
southwest  monsoon  meeting  the  tidal  current,  and  per- 
haps several  other  wayward  and  variable  ocean 
streams  which  whisk  and  swirl  through  that  vexed 
channel,  was  kicking  up  a  perfect  chaos  of  broken 
waves.  Through  this  choppy  turmoil  the  Hailoong 
ploughed  her  way,  all  the  while  pitching  and  rolling  in 
an  exasperating  fashion,  no  two  successive  motions 
of  the  ship  being  alike.  None  but  seasoned  sailors 
could  escape  the  qualms  of  sickness  in  such  a  sea. 

"It  certainly  is  nasty  enough,"  said  the  doctor; 
"  and  the  appearance  of  the  weather  does  not  promise 
much  improvement." 

"The  storm  signals  were  hoisted  as  we  weighed 
anchor,"  replied  McLeod.  "  They  indicated  a  typhoon 
near  the  Philippines,  but  travelling  this  way.  The  cap- 
tain thought  that  we  could  make  the  run  across  before 
it  caught  us.  But  if  we  don't  see  some  weather  be- 
fore we  cross  Tamsui  bar,  I'm  no  prophet." 

"  Seven  bells !  Guess  I  had  better  polish  up  a  bit 
for  dinner." 

"  Don't  throw  away  too  much  labour  on  yourself, 
Sinclair.     She'll  not  appear  at  table  this  evening." 

''She  must  have  made  considerable  impression  on 
you,  Mac,  from  the  frequency  with  which  your  mind 
recurs  to  her,"  retorted  Sinclair,  as  the  two  separated 
to  make  hasty  preparations  for  dinner. 


II 

A  LULL 

THERE  were  not  many  at  dinner  that  evening. 
The  Hailoong  never  had  a  very  heavy  passen- 
ger list.  Her  cabin  accommodation  was  lim- 
ited. On  this  trip  half  of  the  small  number  of 
passengers  were  in  no  humour  for  dinner. 

When  Dr.  Sinclair  entered  the  saloon,  the  chief 
officer,  McLeod,  was  already  at  the  table.  His  watch 
was  nearly  due,  and  he  did  not  stand  upon  ceremony. 
Presently  Captain  Whiteley  came  in,  and  with  him 
a  tall,  broad-shouldered  man  of  past  middle  age.  Sin- 
clair had  barely  time  to  note  the  high,  broad  forehead, 
and  the  square  jaw,  clean  shaven  except  for  a  fringe 
of  side-whiskers,  trimmed  in  old-fashioned  style,  and 
meeting  under  the  chin,  before  the  captain  introduced 
him. 

"  Mr.  MacAllister,  this  is  Dr.  Sinclair,  a  Canadian 
medical  man,  spying  out  the  Far  East,  and  incidentally 
acting  as  our  ship's  doctor." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  make  your  acquaintance.  Dr.  Sin- 
clair. I  have  been  in  your  country,  and  have  a  great 
respect  for  the  energy  and  progressiveness  of  your 
countrymen." 

*'  I  am  glad  to  know  that  you  have  visited  Canada, 
Mr.  MacAllister.  It  seems  to  me  that  most  British 
business  men  and  British  public  men  are  lamentably 
ignorant  of  Britain's  dominions  beyond  the  seas.    It's 

18 


A  LULL  19 

refreshing  to  meet  one  who  has  visited  these  new  lands 
and  knows  something  of  their  possibilities." 

"  It  must  be  acknowledged  that  too  many  of  us  in 
the  British  Isles  are  insular  and  conservative  in  our 
ideas.  But  I  have  always  felt  that  even  in  the  matter 
of  trade  we  cannot  make  a  success,  unless  we  know 
the  people  and  the  wants  of  the  people  with  whom  we 
do  business.  Our  firm's  largest  foreign  trade  is  with 
China,  and  this  is  my  fourth  visit  to  the  China  Coast. 
But  we  have  interests  in  Canada  also,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  them  I  have  spent  some  months  in  the 
Dominion." 

''  I  am  quite  sure  that  your  interests  there  will  grow. 
It  is  a  great  country.  There  is  practically  no  limit 
to  its  possibilities.  Even  the  Canadians  themselves 
are  only  now  discovering  that." 

"  With  such  a  country,  and  with  such  possibilities 
in  it  for  a  young  man,  I  am  surprised.  Dr.  Sinclair, 
that  you  have  forsaken  it  to  seek  your  fortune  on  the 
China  Coast." 

**  Seeking  one's  fortune,  in  the  ordinary  meaning  of 
that  phrase,  is  not  the  only  thing  worth  living  for, 
Mr.  MacAllister.  If  that  were  the  main  object  in  life, 
I  should  have  remained  in  Canada." 

The  keen  grey  eyes  of  the  successful  business  man 
searched  tlie  young  doctor's  face,  as  if  they  would  read 
his  very  thoughts.  But  Dr.  Sinclair  did  not  answer 
their  questioning  gaze,  nor  volunteer  any  explana- 
tion of  his  statement. 

"  Dr.  Sinclair  thinks  with  you,"  broke  in  Captain 
Whiteley,  "  that  a  man  is  better  of  seeing  life  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  world,  even  though  he  may  end  up 
by  finding  a  snug  harbour  in  some  out-of-the-way 
corner." 


20  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  merchant,  "  that  is  wise,  if  he 
can  make  any  use  of  the  experience  gained." 

"  And  I  think  that  the  doctor  is  nearly  as  much  in- 
terested in  missions  as  you  are,  Mr.  MacAllister,  judg- 
ing from  the  way  he  visits  them  and  studies  them  at 
every  port." 

"Is  that  so,  Dr.  Sinclair?"  The  keen  eyes  were 
again  reading  his  face. 

"  I  am  interested  in  anything  which  proposes  to 
make  this  old  world  better,  and  to  help  the  men  who 
are  in  it.  That's  why  I  chose  medicine  as  a  profession. 
I  like  to  see  things  for  myself.  That's  why  I  visit 
missions." 

"  And  what  are  your  conclusions?  " 

"  I  have  hardly  come  to  any  conclusions  yet.  I  have 
been  only  a  few  months  on  the  Coast.  Tourists  and 
newspaper  correspondents  know  all  about  the  Far  East 
after  spending  ten  or  twelve  hours  at  each  of  the 
ports  touched  by  the  big  liners.  I  am  not  a  genius. 
I  cannot  form  conclusions  so  rapidly.  But  here  is  a 
fellow-countryman  of  mine  who  knows  more  of  mis- 
sions now  than,  in  all  probability,  I  ever  shall  know." 

As  he  was  speaking  a  man  had  entered  the  dining 
saloon  who  would  have  attracted  attention  anywhere. 
It  was  not  his  dress  or  his  stature  which  would  have 
caused  him  to  be  noticed.  Like  the  rest  he  wore  a 
close-fitting  suit  of  white  drill.  He  was  of  barely 
middle  height,  though  well-knit,  wiry  and  erect.  But 
the  quick,  nervous  movements,  the  piercing  dark  eyes, 
which  seemed  to  take  in  with  one  swift  glance  every- 
thing and  everybody  in  the  room,  betokened  the  fiery 
energy  of  the  soul  which  burned  within.  The  high 
forehead,  a  trifle  narrow  perhaps,  and  the  straight 
line  of  the  mouth,  with  its  firmly-closed  lips,  indicated 


A  LULL  21 

intensity  of  purpose  and  determination.  A  long  black 
beard  flowed  down  on  his  chest,  contrasting  sharply 
with  the  spotless  white  of  his  clothing. 

"  Mr.  MacAllister,  have  you  met  Dr.  MacKay?  " 

"  I  have  not  had  that  pleasure.  Is  this  MacKay 
of  Formosa?" 

"  I  am  MacKay.'* 

"  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  meet  you.  I  have 
heard  so  much  of  your  work." 

"  I  hope  it  may  have  been  good." 

"  What  else  could  it  be  ?  I  am  told  that  it  is  mar- 
vellous what  you  have  accomplished  in  so  short  a  time 
and  almost  alone." 

"  All  have  not  that  opinion  of  my  work." 

"All  who  spoke  of  it  to  me  had  that  opinion.  If 
what  they  told  me  is  true,  as  I  believe  it  is,  how  could 
they  think  otherwise?" 

"  Different  men  have  different  methods.  So  have 
different  missions.  Some  can  see  no  good  in  any  but 
their  own.  My  methods  differ  from  those  of  others. 
They  have  not  approved  themselves  to  many  of  my 
seniors  in  the  mission  fields  of  China." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  study  your  methods  and  see  your 
results  for  myself." 

"  You  shall  have  the  opportunity." 

The  little  group  of  officers  and  passengers  were 
ere  this  seated  at  the  table.  In  addition  to  those  al- 
ready mentioned  there  was  the  chief  engineer,  Watson, 
a  Scot  from  the  Clyde.  There  was  also  a  passenger, 
a  tea-buyer  from  New  York. 

The  latter  sat  opposite  Dr.  MacKay  at  the  mate's 
left.  He  had  been  listening  to  the  conversation  with 
a  look  of  amused  contempt  on  his  flabby  face.  At  the 
head  of  the  table  the  captain,  the  engineer,  Sinclair, 


22  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

and  MacAllister  formed  one  group,  who  Were  soon 
deep  in  conversation.  The  tea-buyer  took  advantage 
of  their  preoccupation  to  address  his  neighbour  across 
the  table  : 

"  So  you  are  one  of  those  missionaries/' 
1  am. 

'*  Been  gettin'  a  pretty  fine  collection  of  souls  saved." 

"  I  never  saved  a  soul.    Never  expect  to." 

The  mate  chuckled  to  himself.  But  the  point  v^as 
lost  on  the  tea-buyer.    He  thought  that  he  had  scored. 

"  Glad  to  see  that  you  have  come  round  to  my  point 
of  view,"  he  said;  "and  that  there  is  one  missionary 
honest  enough  to  acknowledge  it." 

*^  And  what  is  your  point  of  view?  " 

*'  My  point  of  view  is  that  the  red-skins  and  the 
black-skins  and  the  brown-skins  and  the  yaller-skins 
ain't  got  any  souls,  any  more  than  a  dog  has." 

"I  do  not  know  of  any  reason  why  the  colour  of 
a  man's  skin  should  affect  his  possession  of  a  soul." 
MacKay  spoke  very  quietly.  The  tea-buyer  began 
to  bluster. 

"  Reason  or  no  reason,  no  man  is  going  to  make  me 
believe  that  any  of  the  niggers  or  Chinees  or  any  of 
the  rest  of  them  have  souls.  Christian  or  no  Chris- 
tian, a  nigger  is  a  nigger,  a  Chinee  is  a  Chinee,  a 
Dago  is  a  Dago,  and  a  Sheeny  is  a  Sheeny  from  first 
to  last.  All  the  missionary  talk  and  missionary  money- 
getting  is  nothing  but  damned  graft,  and  the  mission- 
aries know  it.  Boy !  One  piecee  whiskey-soda !  Chop- 
chop!" 

"  All  lite !  Have  got."  And  the  ''  boy,"  a  Chinese 
waiter  perhaps  sixty  or  seventy  years  old,  quickly  and 
noiselessly  brought  the  bottles. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  had  abundance  of  opportu- 


A  LULL  23 

nity  to  see  and  judge  for  yourself  before  you  came 
to  those  conclusions,  Mr.  Clark,"  said  MacKay. 

There  was  that  in  his  tone  which  would  have  made 
most  men  careful  in  their  reply.  But  Clark  was  too 
self-confident  to  be  wary,  and  repeated  whiskeys  and 
sodas  had  made  him  still  less  cautious. 

''You  may  bet  your  bottom  dollar  I  have,"  he  re- 
plied. "  I  have  known  niggers  and  Dagos  since  I 
was  knee-high  to  a  grasshopper ;  and  I  have  spent  every 
season  on  the  China  Coast  for  the  last  five  or  six 
years.  Oh,  yes!  I  know  what  I'm  talking  about.  I 
know  them  from  the  ground  up." 

'*  Doubtless  you  have  visited  many  of  the  churches 
and  chapels  at  the  different  ports  where  you  have  done 
business,  and  have  for  yourself  seen  the  natives  at 
worship." 

*'  Me  visit  their  churches !  Not  on  your  life !  What 
do  you  take  me  for?  I  take  no  stock  in  any  of  their 
joss  pidgin.  I'd  sooner  go  to  a  native  temple  than 
to  a  native  church.    But  I've  never  been  in  either." 

*'  Then  I  am  afraid  that  I  must  assist  your  memory, 
Mr.  Clark.    You  were  in  a  native  church." 

**Me?    Never!" 

"  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  Mr.  Clark,  you  were  a  pas- 
senger on  the  American  bark  Betsy,  when  she  was 
wrecked  on  South  Point,  just  outside  of  Saw  Bay,  a 
year  ago  last  November." 

"  I  was.  But  I  don't  see  what  that  has  to  do  with 
the  subject  we  were  discussing." 

"  The  Betsy's  boats  were  all  smashed  as  soon  as 
they  touched  water."  MacKay  was  speaking  in  the 
dead  level  tones  of  suppressed  emotion.  But  there 
was  something  so  penetrating  in  his  voice  that  the 
conversation  at  the  other  end  of  the  table  ceased,  and 


24  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

all  were  listening.  "  The  Pe-po-hoan  or  Malay  natives 
there  went  out  through  the  surf  in  their  fishing-boats 
and  took  every  man  off  safely." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Clark  uneasily,  "  that's  all  right 
enough.  But  I  reckon  we  could  have  made  the  shore 
ourselves." 

"  They  took  you  to  their  village,  called  Lam- 
hong-o:  they  opened  their  church:  the  preacher  gave 
up  his  own  house  to  you :  they  made  beds  for  you  there 
and  fed  you." 

*'  Damned  poor  accommodation,  and  damned  poor 
grub!  Boy!  One  piecee  whiskey!  Be  quick  about 
it!" 

"  All  lite !    No  wanchee  soda  ?    My  can  catchee." 

"No!    Damn  the  soda!" 

"  All  lite !    All  lite !    Dammee  soda !  " 

*'  I  shall  not  say  anything,  Mr.  Clark,  of  the  return 
those  white  men  with  souls  made  to  those  brown  men 
without  souls  who  saved  them.  But  I  shall  tell  you 
what  would  have  happened  if  the  missionaries  had  not 
gone  to  Lam-hong-o;  if  there  had  not  been  a  chapel 
there;  if  those  brown-skins  had  not  been  Christians. 
Your  ship  would  have  been  pillaged.  Your  heads 
would  have  been  cut  off.  Your  carcasses  would  have 
been  fed  to  the  sharks.  But  they  were  Christians. 
So  they  saved  you.  They  fed  you.  They  clothed 
you.  They  sent  you  home  with  all  your  belongings 
that  they  were  able  to  save  from  the  sea." 

"  Right  you  are,  MacKay ! "  exclaimed  Captain 
Whiteley,  bringing  his  fist  down  on  the  table  with  a 
thump  which  threatened  to  throw  on  the  floor  the  few 
dishes  which  the  motion  of  the  ship  had  not  already 
dashed  out  of  the  retaining  frames.  "  Right  you  are! 
Nearly  thirty  years  ago  I  was  on  the  Teucer,  Captain 


A  LULL  25 

Gibson,  as  senior  apprentice  with  rank  of  fourth  mate. 
We  were  bound  from  Liverpool  to  Shanghai,  but  ran 
on  the  rocks  a  little  farther  down  the  East  Coast  than 
the  Betsy  did.  There  were  thirty-one  of  us  all  told. 
We  got  ashore  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  But  when 
those  devils  of  natives  were  done  with  us,  there  were 
only  three  of  us  left  alive — the  carpenter,  an  A.B., 
and  myself.  And  we  wished  that  we  were  dead.  We 
would  have  been  dead,  too,  before  long.  But  after 
being  worked  as  slaves  for  nine  months,  a  Chinaman, 
who  had  been  with  the  missionaries  on  the  mainland, 
bought  us  from  the  Malays,  and  rowed  us  out  to  the 
first  foreign  ship  he  saw,  the  old  Spindrift.  She  took 
us  to  Shanghai." 

As  the  captain  finished  speaking  MacKay  rose 
and  left  the  table.  As  was  his  wont,  he  had  eaten 
sparingly  and  quickly.  MacAllister  was  pressing  Cap- 
tain Whiteley  for  more  details  of  his  captivity  among 
the  head-hunters.  McLeod  was  on  the  point  of  going 
out  to  his  watch. 

'*  That  was  score  one  on  you,  Clark,"  he  said  to 
his  neighbour.  "  It  doesn't  pay  to  get  too  fresh  even 
with  a  parson." 

**I  don't  see  that  it's  any  of  your  pidgin  to  stick 
up  for  those  fakirs,"  retorted  the  tea-buyer  angrily. 

"  And  I  don't  make  it  my  pidgin,"  replied  McLeod, 
"but  it  wasn't  up  to  you  to  butt  in  on  a  man  like 
MacKay  the  way  you  did.  He  gave  you  what  you 
deserved." 

"  He  needn't  have  flared  up  so  and  brought  in  all 
those  mock-heroics  about  what  those  niggers  of  his 
did.  I  was  only  jollying  him.  He  made  things  a  great 
deal  worse  than  they  were." 

"  He  didn't  make  things  half  as  bad  as  they  were, 


26  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Clark.  What  about  the  way  the  native  preacher's 
daughter  was  used  by  the  men  to  whom  the  preacher 
gave  up  his  house  and  his  church?  Those  brown- 
skins  may  have  no  souls.  But  MacKay  believes  they 
have.  To  my  thinking  they  have  a  good  deal  more 
soul  than  the  white-skins  who  did  what  was  done 
there.  You  fellows  went  the  limit.  I  wonder  that 
MacKay  let  you  off  so  easy." 

**0h! — Say! — Damn  it,  McLeod,  that's  going  too 
far. — I'll    not    stand    for    that. — Say! — Here! — Mc- 
Leod!— Wait  and  we'll  break  a  bottle  of  champagne. 
— Here ! — Boy !    One  piecee  champagne !  " 
"  No,  thank  you,  Clark!    It's  my  watch." 
At  the  door  the  chief  officer  paused  and  called  back: 
"  Say,  Doc,  when  you  are  done  feeding  that  big 
body  of  yours,  come  up  on  the  bridge." 
"  All  right,  Mac.     I'll  be  with  you." 


Ill 

THE  TYPHOON 

WHEN  Dr.  Sinclair  joined  his  friend  on  the 
bridge,  a  very  marked  change  had  come  over 
the  weather.  It  was  intensely  hot  and  sultry 
even  where  the  circulation  of  air  was  freest.  The 
wind  was  no  longer  blowing  steadily  from  the  south- 
west. It  came  in  short  puffs,  dying  away  entirely  be- 
tween them,  and  veering  around  quarter  of  a  circle. 
The  short,  broken  waves  of  earlier  in  the  evening  were 
giving  place  to  a  long  swell,  coming  up  from  the  south. 
The  movement  of  the  ship  was  much  easier.  One  or 
two  passengers  who  had  been  unable  to  appear  at  din- 
ner had  recovered  sufficiently  to  come  on  deck  and 
escape  the  unbearable  sultriness  and  stuffiness  of  the 
cabins. 

"  It's  coming  all  right,  doctor.  Going  to  catch  us 
sure.  I  don't  care  so  much  if  it  will  only  wait  till  day- 
light. I  have  no  ambition  to  be  floundering  around 
this  channel  in  a  typhoon  in  the  dark." 

"How's  the  glass?" 

"  Away  down,  and  still  going.  Haven't  seen  it  so 
low  since  the  big  typhoon  that  cleaned  up  Hong- 
Kong  Harbour  a  couple  of  years  ago." 

"  What  prospect  is  there  that  the  big  blow  will  hold 
off  till  morning?" 

**  Oh,  pretty  fair !  The  rain  hasn't  started  yet,  and 
on  this  coast  we  generally  get  splashes  of  rain  for 
quite  a  few  hours  before  the  real  thing  begins.    The 

27 


28  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

sea  is  rising,  but  not  very  fast  yet.  I  don't  think  we'll 
see  very  bad  weather  till  to-morrow." 

Just  then  a  merry  ripple  of  woman's  laughter 
sounded  from  away  aft. 

"  Listen  to  that,  Sinclair,"  said  the  mate.  "  That 
'  sweet  Highland  girl '  of  yours  has  evidently  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  come  on  deck.  She's  back  there 
talking  to  the  captain.  I  hope  he  may  be  as  gallant 
as  he  sometimes  is  with  our  rare  lady  passengers,  and 
may  bring  her  up  here  to  view  the  scenery.  I  should 
just  like  to  see  how  you  and  she  would  act  at  your 
first  meeting  after  the  little  tiff  you  had  to-day.  I'm 
interested  in  this  case,  doctor." 

"  What  the  deuce  is  the  matter  with  you  anyway, 
McLeod?  You  are  talking  a  lot  of  rot  to  me  about 
a  young  woman  I  have  never  seen  before.  Surely  our 
experiences  so  far  have  been  unpropitious  enough.  If 
it  were  not  that  I  know  about  a  little  girl  away  back 
on  your  own  Island,  I  should  say  that  those  moonlight 
promenades  between  Hong-Kong  and  Swatow  had 
turned  your  head." 

*'  Never  mind.  Doc.  You  know  that  a  bad  begin- 
ning makes  a  good  ending.  We  people  of  Highland 
blood  have  a  sort  of  second  sight.  We  can  see  a 
bit  into  the  future.    I  give  you  fair  warning " 

There  was  another  ripple  of  laughter,  this  time  from 
forward,  almost  under  the  bridge.  Then  a  woman's 
voice  said : 

"  Oh,  Captain  Whiteley,  I  behaved  myself  most 
shockingly  to-day." 

"  Surely  not,  Miss  MacAllister.  I  couldn't  conceive 
of  your  doing  anything  which  wasn't  charming." 

*'  You  told  m.e  that  you  were  a  Yorkshircman,  Cap- 
tain Whiteley.    After  such  a  speech  as  that  I  believe 


THE  TYPHOON  S,9 

that  you  must  have  been  born  near  Blarney  Castle. 
But  I  really  did  behave  shamefully." 

"How?" 

"  I  said  just  awful  things  to  your  doctor." 

"  And  what  ever  did  Dr.  Sinclair  do  to  deserve  those 
*  awful  things  '  ?  " 

"  It  was  all  your  fault,  Captain  Whiteley.  When 
you  introduced  him,  you  did  not  tell  me  that  he  was 
a  doctor.  I  was  sea-sick,  and — and  in  just  dreadful 
humour.  He  offered  assistance.  I  did  not  know  that 
he  was  a  medical  doctor,  sauced  him,  and  sent  him 
about  his  business.  And  now  what  shall  I  do  to  make 
amends  ?    It  was  all  your  fault " 

Anything  more  was  lost  to  the  ears  of  the  two  young 
men  on  the  bridge,  as  she  and  the  captain  strolled 
slowly  aft.  But  the  rippling  laughter  reached  their 
ears  from  time  to  time. 

"  Not  very  penitent,  that !  "  laughed  McLeod. 

"  Did  you  catch  on  to  the  reason  she  gave  for  sauc- 
ing me,  because  she  didn't  know  that  I  was  a  medical 
doctor?  It  was  just  when  she  found  out  that  I  was  a 
doctor  that  she  gave  me  the  worst.  Doesn't  that  beat 
the  Dutch  ? " 

" '  O  woman !  in  our  hours  of  ease, 
Uncertain,  coy,  and  hard  to  please,*" 

quoted  McLeod. 

In  the  light  of  the  binnacle  lamp  the  two  friends 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and  laughed  heartily. 
There  was  no  cynicism,  no  cheap  scoff  at  a  woman's 
variableness.  Instead  there  was  that  manly  healthy- 
mindedness  which  can  afford  to  laugh  at  her  inexplica- 
ble ways,  and  honour  and  admire  her  still. 

"  By  the  way,  McLeod,  Dr.  MacKay  put  it  all  over 


30  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Clark  this  evening,  didn't  he?  I  couldn't  hear  it  all. 
Caught  just  the  last  few  sentences.  But  I  thought, 
from  what  I  heard,  that  he  was  giving  that  old  Mor- 
mon some  knockout  blows." 

**  You're  right  he  was.  But  not  half  as  much  as  he 
deserved.  There  are  some  white  men  who  come  out 
here  who  wouldn't  be  decent  company  for  pigs.  Clark 
is  one  of  them.  I'm  no  paragon  of  virtue,  and  I  don't 
set  up  to  preach  to  others.  But  there  are  a  lot  of 
us  on  the  China  Coast  who  try  to  keep  decent  enough 
not  to  be  ashamed  to  go  home  once  in  a  while  and 
look  our  mothers  and  sisters  in  the  face.  There  are 
a  number  of  others  who  are  simply  rotten.  They  give 
us  all  a  bad  name.  Mormon !  Yes,  worse  than  that ! 
He  could  give  points  to  old  Abdul  Hamid  of  Turkey." 

A  dash  of  warm  rain  driving  before  a  sharp  squall 
of  wind  struck  them.  The  Hailoong  was  rising  and 
falling  with  the  mighty  heave  of  the  great  swells  which 
were  following  each  other  in  regular  succession  from 
the  south,  each  apparently  bigger  than  the  last.  Cap- 
tain Whiteley  climbed  the  ladder  to  the  bridge. 

*'  Looks  as  if  we  were  in  for  a  bad  night,  Mr. 
McLeod." 

"Yes,  sir;  and  a  worse  day  to  follow.'* 

"  From  the  way  the  sea  is  rising,  Fm  afraid  we 
cannot  make  Tamsui  before  it  breaks." 

"  I  am  sure  we  cannot.  Fll  be  satisfied  if  it  only 
waits  till  daylight.  We  may  have  our  hands  full  even 
with  the  light." 

"  I  see  that  you  have  been  making  things  snug. 
That's  right.  Fll  have  a  look  at  everything  before 
eight  bells." 

The  captain  went  down  to  see  that  every  preparation 
was  made.     McLeod  spoke  to  his  companion. 


THE  TYPHOON  31 

*'  You  had  better  turn  in,  Sinclair,'*  he  said.  "  Get 
a  bit  of  rest.  You  may  be  needed  to-morrow.  Good- 
night." 

"Good-night,   Mac." 

How  long  he  was  in  his  berth,  how  much  of  that 
time  he  slept,  how  much  was  spent  in  more  or  less 
conscious  efforts  to  keep  from  being  thrown  about  his 
cabin,  Sinclair  did  not  know.  Accustomed  though  he 
was  to  the  sea  and  to  storms,  there  came  a  time  when 
he  could  remain  in  his  berth  no  longer.  The  angle 
at  which  the  ship  lay  over  told  him  that  she  was  still 
holding  in  her  course  of  the  night  before.  His  cabin 
was  still  on  the  lee  side.  He  opened  his  door  and 
stepped  out,  grasping  the  hand-rail  with  all  his  might 
to  keep  from  being  hurled  off  his  feet. 

Such  a  sight  met  his  eyes  as  is  rarely  seen  even  by 
the  sailor  who  spends  his  life  at  sea.  The  Hailoong 
was  heeled  over  so  far  that  it  seemed  hardly  possible 
that  she  could  right  herself.  It  appeared  to  be  the 
force  of  the  wind  rather  than  of  the  waves  which 
had  thrown  her  on  her  beam  ends,  for  she  did  not  re- 
cover herself  as  she  ought  to  have  done  between  the 
assaults  of  the  billows.  Held  in  that  position  by  sheer 
wind  pressure,  she  was  deluged  with  water,  rain, 
spray,  torn  crests  of  waves — the  air  was  full  of  them, 
while  ever  and  anon  some  mountainous  roller,  higher 
than  its  fellows,  swept  across  her  decks  in  a  smother 
of  green  water  and  snowy  foam. 

So  dark  was  it  that  at  first  Sinclair  could  scarcely 
tell  whether  it  was  night  or  day.  Presently  he  made 
out  some  figures  clinging  desperately  to  anything  which 
would  afford  a  hold  of  safety.  He  made  his  way 
slowly  towards   them.      They  were   McLeod   and   a 


S2  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

couple  of  the  crew,  looking  to  the  lashings  of  the 
boats. 

"  Man,  but  it's  a  wild  morning  whatever !  "  roared 
the  mate  in  his  ear,  lapsing  into  the  idiom  of  his  native 
province  when  his  feelings  were  greatly  stirred. 

"  How  is  she  standing  it?  " 

"  Fine,  so  far !  The  starboard  boats  are  smashed. 
No  other  damage  done  that  I  know  of.  But  it's  hard 
to  tell  what  may  be  happening  to  starboard.  Nothing 
to  be  seen  but  water!  " 

"  The  engines  are  working  all  right,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, as  he  noted  the  steady  throb  and  quiver  running 
like  an  undertone  through  the  succession  of  terrific 
shocks  the  ship  was  receiving  from  the  waves. 

"Ay,  and  if  they  don't  work  all  right,  it'll  not  be 
Watson's  fault.    Yon's  a  grand  man  whatever." 

The  mate  was  off,  traversing  the  tilted  deck  with 
marvellous  agility  and  sureness  of  foot.  The  doctor 
went  below  to  see  if  he  could  be  of  any  service  to  the 
passengers.  An  hour  or  more  passed,  and  he  was 
again  on  deck,  working  his  way  forward  to  get  as 
good  a  view  as  possible. 

There  in  the  shelter  of  the  forward  cabin  stood  Dr. 
MacKay.  He  was  bareheaded;  his  long,  black  beard 
was  blowing  in  the  wind;  his  white  suit  was  drenched 
as  if  he  had  been  overboard;  his  keen  eyes  were  striv- 
ing to  pierce  the  murk  of  cloud  and  rain  and  spray 
which  turned  the  day  almost  into  night.  He  seemed 
to  be  expecting  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  land. 

He  was  not  clinging  to  the  hand-rail,  but  had  his 
hands  clasped  behind  his  back.  In  spite  of  the  dis- 
tressing angle  at  which  the  ship's  deck  was  tilted,  in 
spite  of  her  pitching  and  plunging,  he  seemed  able  to 
accommodate  himself  to  her  every  movement.    A  man 


THE  TYPHOON  33 

of  big  stature  and  splendid  physical  development  him- 
self, Sinclair  could  not  help  pausing  for  some  minutes 
to  admire  the  poise  and  self-control  of  that  compara- 
tively small,  spare,  but  erect  and  athletic  figure.  Then 
he  stepped  a  little  nearer  and  shouted : 

"  Do  you  often  have  storms  like  this  in  Formosa?" 

"  I  have  seen  as  bad;  perhaps  worse :  but  not  often." 

*'  Do  you  think  that  we're  near  Tamsui  ?  " 

''  We  must  be." 

"  Can  we  make  the  harbour?  " 

**  Not  this  time.    We'll  be  late  for  the  tide." 

*'  A  bad  wind  for  putting  about  and  getting  out  to 
sea  again ! " 

"  *  Who  hath  measured  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of 
His  hand?'" 

At  that  instant  a  tremendous  billow  tumbled  on 
board  with  such  a  weight  of  water  that  for  some  mo- 
ments it  seemed  as  if  the  Hailoong  could  not  rise  from 
beneath  it.  It  caught  two  Chinese  deck-hands,  tore 
them  from  the  bridge  supports  to  which  they  were 
clinging,  and  swept  them  helplessly  from  starboard  to 
port.  Like  a  flash  MacKay's  left  hand  shot  out, 
grasped  a  thin  brown  wrist,  and  swung  one  of  the 
natives  into  the  shelter  of  the  cabin.  But  the  other 
was  dashed  with  terrific  force  against  the  deck-rail, 
where  he  lay  motionless. 

Sinclair  sprang  forward  to  help  him.  A  second 
wave  hurled  him  against  the  rail.  He  did  not  fall, 
but  performed  some  weird  gymnastics  in  the  effort  to 
keep  his  feet.  And  through  the  shrieking  of  the  wind 
and  the  roar  of  the  waves  he  heard  a  clear,  joyous 
woman's  laugh,  the  same  as  he  had  heard  the  night 
before.  There  in  the  shelter  of  the  cabin,  on  almost 
the  very  spot  where  he  had  stood  a  moment  before, 


S4  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

was  Miss  MacAUister,  looking  like  the  very  spirit 
of  the  storm. 

That  was  too  much.  Even  Sinclair's  usually  un- 
ruffled temper  began  to  give  way.  He  caught  up  the 
helpless  Chinese  as  if  he  had  been  a  child,  and  with 
one  quick  spring  was  back  to  shelter. 

"  You  seem  to  find  it  very  amusing  to  see  men  hurt, 
Miss  MacAUister,"  he  said  almost  fiercely. 

*'  I  did  not  know  that  you  were  hurt,  Dr.  Sinclair, 
or  I  should  not  have  laughed.    I  am  so  sorry." 

"  I'm  not  hurt,"  said  the  young  man  even  more 
ferociously  than  before ;  "  but  this  man  is  injured, 
seriously  injured,  I'm  afraid.    He's  still  unconscious." 

"  Oh,  but  I  was  not  laughing  at  him.  I  was  laugh- 
ing at  you.  You  would  have  laughed  yourself  if  you 
could  have  seen  the  figure  you  cut  going  across  the 
deck.  Really,  Dr.  Sinclair,  you  would.  I  simply  could 
not  help  it." 

She  looked  up  in  his  face  with  such  a  childlike  inno- 
cence of  expression,  such  confidence  in  the  validity 
of  the  excuse,  that  even  Dr.  MacKay's  somewhat  stern 
face  relaxed,  and  he  turned  away  to  hide  a  smile. 
As  for  Dr.  Sinclair,  he  was  helpless.  He  could  not 
remain  angry  under  the  circumstances.  His  good- 
humoured  laugh  broke  out  as  he  replied : 

"  We  must  accept  your  confession,  believe  in  your 
penitence,  and  grant  you  absolution." 

He  and  MacKay  went  below  with  the  injured 
Chinese,  but  in  a  few  minutes  reappeared  on  deck. 

"  I  Have  not  seen  your  father  to-day.  Miss  MacAUis- 
ter," said  Dr.  MacKay. 

"  He  is  in  his  stateroom  with  mother.  She  is  very 
ill  and  he  will  not  leave  her." 

"  I  must  congratulate  you  on  being  so  good  a  sailor. 


THE  TYPHOON  35 

You  do  not  show  a  symptom  of  sea-sickness.  That 
is  quite  remarkable  in  such  a  storm  as  this." 

She  shot  a  quick  glance  at  Sinclair.  He  did  not 
seem  to  be  paying  attention  to  what  they  were  saying. 
But  a  quizzical  smile  playing  about  his  eyes  and  mouth 
betrayed  his  interest  in  the  conversation  and  his  re- 
membrance of  what  had  taken  place  the  evening 
before. 

"Indeed,  Dr.  MacKay,  I  am  not  a  good  sailor  at 
all.  I  have  been  sea-sick  when  there  was  only  a  little 
chop  on  the  water.  I  was  sea-sick  yesterday.  I  should 
have  been  sick  to-day,  only  this  storm  is  so  interest- 
ing that  I  have  not  had  time  to  think  about  myself. 
When  the  officers  and  crew  are  being  tossed  about 
the  deck  by  the  waves,  like  dead  leaves  on  a  burn  in 
autumn,  it  is  really  too  interesting  and  amusing  to  be 
missed." 

The  rare  smile  lighted  up  the  missionary's  face  as 
he  glanced  at  Sinclair.  The  latter  accepted  the  chal- 
lenge, and  a  quick  answer  was  on  his  tongue,  when 
McLeod  hurried  past.  He  paused  long  enough  to  say 
to  Sinclair: 

"  We're  opposite  the  harbour,  doctor,  but  we  can't 
make  it."  Then  he  ran  up  on  the  bridge  to  join  Cap- 
tain Whiteley,  who  had  not  left  it  since  midnight. 

The  words  were  intended  for  Sinclair  alone.  But 
a  momentary  lull  in  the  storm  made  them  louder  than 
McLeod  anticipated.  Sinclair's  two  companions 
heard  them.  Yet  neither  showed  any  trace  of  con- 
cern— neither  the  mature  man  who  had  faced  death 
scores  of  times  on  sea  and  on  land,  nor  the  young 
woman  who  had  never  knowingly  been  in  danger 
before. 

The  same  brief  lull  in  the  force  of  the  wind  brought 


36  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

an  equally  momentary  gleam  of  light  through  the  dark- 
ness, which  had  up  till  then  made  noonday  as  gloomy 
as  a  late  twilight.  That  gleam  lighted  for  a  few  short 
seconds  the  landscape,  and  showed  the  storm-tossed 
company  where  they  were.  There  directly  ahead  was 
the  harbour  of  Tamsui,  with  the  green  and  purple 
hills  beyond.  There  on  the  nearest  hill-top  was  the 
Red  Fort  which  for  two  and  a  half  centuries  had 
braved  such  storms  as  this.  Just  beyond  it  were  the 
low  white  bungalows  of  the  mission,  nearly  hidden 
in  the  trees,  where  anxious  eyes  were  watching  for  one 
who  was  on  that  battling  ship.  There,  too,  were  the 
black  balls  hanging  on  the  yard-arm  at  the  signal 
station,  saying  that  the  tide  was  falling  and  the  bar 
impassable.  And  the  two  white  beacons  for  a  single 
instant  in  line,  and  then  widening  apart,  told  the  sea- 
men that  not  only  the  tempest  but  the  ebb  tide,  sweep- 
ing past  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  was  bearing  them 
full  upon  the  long  curving  beach  of  sand  and  shells 
which  lay  just  to  the  north,  where  the  surf  was  beat- 
ing so  furiously. 

It  takes  time  to  tell.  But  in  reality  the  respite  lasted 
only  a  few  seconds.  Then  the  typhoon  burst  upon 
them  again,  with  apparently  redoubled  violence.  The 
darkness  and  the  tumult  of  wind  and  waves  were 
appalling. 

"  I  wonder  that  you  are  not  afraid,"  said  Sinclair 
to  Miss  MacAllister,  losing  sight  of  their  passages 
at  arms  in  the  seriousness  of  the  situation. 

"  Should  I  be  afraid?  "  was  her  reply. 

''  Most  people  would  be." 

"Are  you  afraid?" 

"No:  I  do  not  think  I  am." 

"  Well,  if  you  and  the  other  officers  who  know  what- 


THE  TYPHOON  37 

ever  danger  there  may  be  are  not  afraid,  I  do  not  see 
why  I  should.  They  know  the  situation.  I  do  not. 
When  they  tell  me  that  there  is  serious  danger,  it 
will  be  time  enough  for  me  to  be  frightened." 

Then  for  the  first  time  Sinclair  turned  upon  her  a 
look  of  genuine  admiration.  Up  to  that  moment  she 
had  been  to  him  a  mischievous,  teasing,  whimsical 
girl,  with  a  quick  wit  and  a  ready  tongue,  who  had 
been  amusing  herself  at  his  expense.  Now  he  saw 
another  side  to  her  character.  There  was  a  strong, 
brave  nature  under  the  light,  changeful  surface  hu- 
mours he  had  seen  before. 

If  she  were  not  afraid,  there  was  at  least  one  pas- 
senger who  was.  During  the  brief  lull  in  the  storm 
Clark,  the  tea-buyer,  had  come  on  deck.  He  had 
hardly  reached  it  when  the  second  fury  of  the  typhoon 
burst  upon  them.  He  was  now  clinging  to  the  hand- 
rail, with  a  face  so  flabby  and  ghastly  that  it  was 
terrible  to  look  upon.  He  was  not  sea-sick.  He  was 
too  experienced  a  sailor  for  that.  But  he 'was  afraid, 
horribly  afraid.  As  the  murk  and  gloom  closed  down 
again,  and  a  gigantic  wall  of  water  broke  over  the 
ship,  making  her  shudder  and  struggle  like  a  living 
thing  in  death  agony,  Clark's  voice  was  heard  rising 
in  a  scream  above  the  roar  of  the  elements : 

"  MacKay,  for  God's  sake,  why  don't  you  pray  ?  " 

MacKay  looked  at  the  man  clinging  there  in  abject 
terror.  For  a  moment  the  keen,  stern  face  softened 
as  if  in  pity.  Then  it  seemed  as  if  the  memory  of 
something — was  it  of  that  wreck  on  the  East  Coast, 
and  the  evil  deeds  done  in  the  chapel  and  the  preach- 
er's house  there  ? — flashed  through  his  mind.  His  face 
hardened  again,  and  in  a  voice  like  ice  he  replied: 

"  Men  who  honour  God  when  the  days  are  fine  do 


Sa  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

not  have  to  howl  to  Him  for  help  in  the  time  of 
storm." 

What  more  the  terror-stricken  boaster  of  the  even- 
ing before  may  have  said  was  lost  on  his  companions, 
for  something  was  happening  which  engrossed  all  their 
attention.  Down  in  the  engine-room  bells  jangled 
sharply.  The  screw  began  to  thresh  the  water  at  a 
tremendous  rate.  The  Hailoong  heeled  still  farther  to 
port,  began  to  forge  ahead,  bumped  something,  was 
caught  by  a  mighty  wave  squarely  on  the  stern, 
righted  herself,  and  plunged  forward.  Then  Sinclair 
realized  what  was  happening. 

"  Everybody  below !  "  he  shouted.  "  Quick !  The 
next  will  catch  us  on  this  side.  Dr.  MacKay,  help 
Miss  MacAllister." 

Seizing  the  helpless  Clark,  he  flung  him  by  main 
strength  into  safety.  They  were  scarcely  under  cover 
when  a  big  roller  tumbled  on  board  on  the  port  side. 
The  Hailoong  had  turned  almost  completely  around, 
and  was  fighting  her  way  out  to  sea. 

All  afternoon  and  far  into  the  night  the  brave  little 
vessel  battled  with  the  waves  to  get  back  to  the  coast 
of  the  mainland.  At  last  her  anxious  officers  were 
rewarded  by  a  distant,  hazy  gleam  of  light  through 
the  dense,  water-laden  atmosphere.  Fifteen  seconds 
passed,  almost  minutes  in  length.  Again  the  white 
beam  shot  athwart  the  darkness.  Then  regularly  and 
growing  ever  nearer,  at  intervals  of  fifteen  seconds, 
the  great  white  light  flashed,  showing  the  way  to 
safety.  It  was  Turnabout  lighthouse,  behind  which 
lay  Haitan  Straits,  winding  among  the  islands,  and 
between  them  and  the  mainland  shore. 

Into  one  of  their  many  natural  harbours  the 
'Hailoong  cautiously  felt  her  way,  and  cast  anchor  in 


THE  TYPHOON  39 

a  quiet  basin  among  the  hills.  There  nothing  but  the 
torrents  of  rain  falling  and  the  roar  of  the  surf  be- 
yond the  island  barrier  remained  to  tell  of  the  dangers 
they  had  passed  through.  Then  Captain  Whiteley  left 
the  bridge  for  the  first  time  in  more  than  twenty-four 
hours.  Neither  he  nor  his  chief  officer  had  found  a 
chance  to  sleep  for  forty-eight  hours. 

For  years  afterwards  only  three  persons  knew  ex- 
actly what  happened  on  the  bridge  that  day.  Then 
when  Captain  Whiteley  was  commanding  a  Castle  boat 
running  to  the  Cape,  and  McLeod  had  a  big  trans- 
Pacific  liner,  the  quarter-master,  who  with  a  Chinese 
sea-cunny  had  been  at  the  Hailoong's  wheel,  felt  ab- 
solved from  the  promise  he  had  made  to  McLeod  to 
keep  the  secret,  and  told  what  he  knew. 

When  the  momentary  lifting  of  the  clouds  showed 
the  captain  that  the  wind  combined  with  the  ebb  of 
the  tide  had  carried  them  past  the  line  of  entrance  to 
the  harbour,  towards  the  shoaling  beach  on  which  the 
surf  was  beating,  he  shouted  to  his  mate: 

"  My  God,  McLeod,  we're  lost!  " 

**  Not  so  bad  as  that  yet,  sir ! "  was  the  reply. 

"  There  isn't  room  to  turn  and  clear  that  shoal  wa- 
ter. To  starboard  it's  stern  on :  to  port  it's  broadside 
on." 

'' We  haven't  tried,  sir!" 

**  Then,  for  God's  sake,  McLeod,  try !  " 

The  words  had  hardly  left  the  captain's  lips  when 
the  engineer  received  the  signal  for  full  steam  ahead, 
and  the  mate,  springing  into  the  wheel-house,  flung 
himself  on  the  wheel,  and  with  the  combined  strength 
of  three  men  forced  it  over.  The  Hailoong  responded 
gallantly.  Her  head  swung  directly  towards  the 
dreaded  shoal,  passed  it,  and  pointed  out  to  sea.     So 


40  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

close  was  she  that  when  the  wind  caught  her  stern  it 
dropped  just  for  an  instant  between  two  rollers  on 
the  hard,  smooth  sand.  But  the  next  one  lifted  her, 
gave  her  churning  screw  a  chance,  and  the  ebb  tide, 
which  a  moment  before  had  been  threatening  to  send 
her  broadside  to  destruction,  now  helped  to  bear  her 
past  the  long  receding  curve  of  the  sand  bank,  out 
into  the  open  sea. 

"  That  was  the  tightest  corner  I  ever  was  in,"  White- 
ley  used  to  say  afterwards;  *'  and  it  was  McLeod  who 
took  us  out." 

But  McLeod,  in  a  moment  of  confidence,  said  to 
Sinclair: 

"  Man,  but  that  engineer,  Watson,  is  the  jewel  what- 
ever !  He  let  his  second  handle  the  levers,  while  him- 
self held  pistols  to  the  heads  of  the  Chinese  stokers, 
and  told  them  to  shovel  or  die  in  their  tracks.  That's 
what  saved  us.  He's  a  jewel.  I  never  saw  his  likes 
whatever." 


IV 
PARRIED 

IT  was  a  bright,  calm  summer  day,  perfect  in  its 
tropical  splendour,  when  the  Hailoong  arrived  off 
the  port  of  Tamsui.  On  the  blue,  smiling  sea 
and  rich  green  shore  not  a  trace  remained  of  the  furi- 
ous storm  of  two  days  before.  Where,  save  for  one 
brief  gleam,  all  had  been  hidden  from  sight  by  the 
blackness  of  the  tempest  and  the  deluge  of  rain  and 
spray,  there  now  lay  before  the  ship's  company  as  fair 
a  landscape  as  the  eye  could  wish  to  look  upon. 

Immediately  in  front  of  them  was  the  broad,  brim- 
ming river,  its  sand-spits  and  oyster-beds  hidden  be- 
neath the  waters  of  the  full  tide.  On  the  right  or 
southern  shore  a  mountain  rose  from  its  margin  in 
an  isolated  peak  to  the  height  of  seventeen  hundred 
feet,  clothed  with  dense  verdure  to  the  very  summit. 
To  the  left,  on  a  hill  and  plateau  two  hundred  feet 
high,  were  the  red  brick  buildings  of  the  old  Dutch 
fort,  the  residence  of  the  British  consul,  and  the  mis- 
sion schools,  and  the  white  bungalows  of  the  mission- 
aries and  customs  officers.  At  the  foot  of  this  hill  and 
along  the  river  bank,  the  mean  buildings  of  the  Chinese 
town  of  Tams-ui  straggled  off  until  lost  to  sight  around 
the  curve.  Its  limits  were  marked  by  the  little  for- 
est of  masts  of  the  junks  which  lay  along  in  front  of 
the  town.  In  the  centre  of  the  river,  directly  oppo- 
site the  mission  houses,  a  trim  gunboat  rested  at 
anchor.    Over  all  rose  the  Taitoon  Mountains  in  suc- 

41 


42  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

cessive  ranges  of  green  and  purple  and  blue,  the  high- 
est and  farthest  summits  blending  with  the  unclouded 
sky. 

Exclamations  of  delight  burst  from  those  of  the 
passengers  who  had  never  looked  upon  the  scene 
before. 

"Father,  isn't  this  just  glorious?" 

"  It  certainly  is.  I  have  often  heard  of  the  beauty 
of  Formosa,  but  this  first  view  quite  exceeds  my  ex- 
pectations." 

"  It  was  worth  while  experiencing  that  typhoon  and 
being  delayed  for  two  days.  It  heightens  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  scene  like  this.  We  should  not  have  appre- 
ciated it  so  much  if  we  had  been  favoured  with  a 
peaceful  voyage.    Do  you  not  think  so,  Dr.  MacKay?  " 

''  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Miss  MacAllister.  But 
Formosa  is  always  beautiful  to  me.  It  never  loses 
its  charm.  I  have  gone  up  and  down  it  for  more  than 
a  dozen  years.  I  never  grow  weary  of  it.  It  never 
palls  upon  me.  It  is  still  to  me  as  the  first  day  I  saw 
it  '  Ilha  Formosa,'  the  Beautiful  Isle.  It  always  will 
be  Beautiful  Formosa." 

There  was  an  accent  in  his  reply  which  spoke  of 
more  than  love  for  the  scenery.  Miss  MacAllister 
was  not  slow  to  detect  it.  She  heard  in  it  the  pas- 
sionate devotion  of  a  heroic  soul  to  the  cause  to  which 
he  had  given  his  life.  It  struck  a  responsive  chord 
somewhere  in  her  own  being.  It  was  with  a  softened 
voice,  a  voice  expressive  of  sympathy  and  admiration, 
that  she  said: 

**  You  love  the  island  and  its  people,  Dr.  MacKay?  " 

*'I  do." 

And  Sinclair,  who  chanced  to  be  standing  near,  as 
once  before  during  the  storm,  saw  the  veil  of  her  sur- 


PARRIED  43 

face  waywardness  lifted  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  a 
character  beneath  which  was  capable  of  serious 
purpose. 

*'  Mr.  McLeod,  that  sampan  over  there  with  the 
flag  is  hailing  us." 

It  was  the  captain's  voice  which  broke  in  on  the 
conversation  of  the  group  on  deck. 

''  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  chief.  "  It  came  out  from 
the  pilot  village,  and  has  been  waiting  for  us." 

"  I  wonder  what's  up  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  Hold  on,  they  are  signalling 
from  the  Customs." 

In  an  instant  the  chief  officer  had  a  glass  focussed 
on  the  flagpole  at  the  customs  offices.  The  other  of- 
ficers and  the  passengers  stood  silent  while  the  little 
fluttering  oblongs  and  triangles  of  red,  white,  yellow, 
and  blue  talked. 

"  What  do  they  say,  chief  ?  " 

"  Wait  for  a  pilot.     Danger." 

"  A  pilot!  The  devil!  What  do  they  take  us  for? 
Some  tramp  which  has  never  been  here  before?  Per- 
haps the  typhoon  shifted  the  bar." 

While  he  spoke,  McLeod  had  swung  his  glass  upon 
the  approaching  Chinese  boat.  Two  fishermen,  stand- 
ing up  and  pushing  forward  on  their  long  oars,  were 
driving  it  rapidly  through  the  water.  Their  bodies, 
naked  to  the  waist,  and  their  legs,  bare  save  for  the 
shortest  of  cotton  trousers,  were  covered  with  perspi- 
ration and  shone  in  the  sun  like  burnished  copper. 
In  the  stern  sat  a  Chinese  in  a  dress  which  was  an  in- 
describable cross  between  Chinese  official  robes  and 
a  Western  uniform. 

"  That's  a  Chinese  military  or  naval  officer  of  some 
kind,  sir,"  said  the  mate.    "  They  must  be  in  a  mix-up 


44  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

with  somebody.  Perhaps  the  French  have  taken  it 
into  their  heads  to  annex  Formosa." 

The  sampan  shot  alongside,  and  with  unex- 
pected agility  the  Chinese  officer  clambered  up  the  sea- 
ladder. 

"  The  captain  will  please  to  excuse  me/'  he  said  in 
slow,  precise  English,  "  for  offering  to  pilot  his  ship 
into  the  harbour.  The  captain's  skill  as  a  pilot  is 
well  known  to  me.  The  government  of  China  regrets 
to  find  itself  in  a  state  of  war  with  the  government 
of  France.  Therefore,  His  Excellency,  the  Provincial 
Governor  of  Formosa,  has  laid  down  mines  for  the 
defence  of  the  port  of  Tamsui.  As  I  have  knowledge 
of  the  position  of  the  mines,  he  has  commanded  me 
to  pilot  the  captain's  ship  past  the  mines  into  the 
harbour." 

He  concluded  his  little  speech  with  a  profound  bow. 
The  captain's  reply  was  brief : 

''  The  ship  is  yours,  sir." 

Another  profound  bow,  and  the  Chinese  officer  was 
in  charge. 

Captain  Whiteley  turned  to  Mr.  MacAllister. 

"  I  am  sorry,  sir,"  he  said,  *'  that  the  French  have 
taken  the  notion  to  transfer  their  scrimmage  with  the 
Chinese  to  Formosa  just  at  this  moment.  It  will  in- 
terfere with  your  plans." 

**  It  probably  will  interfere  somewhat  with  our 
movements.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  of  ad- 
vantage to  us.  We  are  out  to  learn,  and  are  not 
hampered  by  lack  of  time.  I  am  deeply  interested  in 
your  pilot.  He  seems  perfectly  at  home,  and  to  know 
his  business  thoroughly." 

"  Not  the  slightest  doubt  of  that !  This  is  not  the 
first  time  he  has  navigated  a  ship.    Very  likely  he  has 


PARRIED  45 

spent  years  of  apprenticeship  on  board  a  British  or 
American  man-of-war." 

"  Is  China  getting  her  young  man  trained  like  that  ?  " 

"  They  are  getting  themselves  trained.  The  gov- 
ernment isn't  awake  yet.  But  many  of  the  young 
men  are.  The  old  China  is  passing.  This  is  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  new  China  which  is  coming.  It 
will  take  time.  But  when  it  does  come,  mark  my 
words,  the  Western  nations  will  have  to  sit  up  and 
take  notice." 

Meanwhile  the  Hailoong,  under  the  command  of 
her  Oriental  pilot,  crossed  the  bar  and  zigzagged  her 
way  slowly  up  the  river,  following  invisible  channels 
through  the  field  of  hidden  mines  until  she  reached  her 
berth  at  the  customs  jetty. 

Leaning  on  the  rail,  Sinclair  watched  with  keenest 
interest  the  little  crowd  of  foreigners  and  natives  gath- 
ered on  the  shore  and  jetty,  waiting  for  the  passengers 
to  disembark.  He  had  met  a  number  of  them  on  a 
former  trip  to  this  port,  and  occasionally  waved  his 
hand  or  gave  a  greeting  to  some  one  he  recognized. 

There  was  a  sprinkling  of  officers  of  the  Imperial 
Maritime  Customs,  sunburned  young  Britons  for  the 
most  part,  who  had  taken  service  under  the  brilliant 
Irishman  whose  genius  had  saved  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment from  bankruptcy.  There  were  the  representa- 
tives of  the  various  foreign  business  firms,  all  British, 
glad  to  leave  their  hongs  for  an  hour,  to  experience 
the  little  excitement  caused  by  the  coming  of  the  weekly 
steamer,  and  to  welcome  those  whom  they  had  almost 
given  up  for  lost.  The  foreign  community  doctor  had 
found  time  from  his  not  very  pressing  duties  to  come 
down  to  the  landing  and  call  a  "  Wie  geht  es  Ihnen?  " 
to  his  confrere  on  board  the  Hailoong. 


46  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Contrasting  with  the  close-fitting  snow-white  gar- 
ments of  the  foreigners  were  the  long,  blue,  or  mauve 
silk  gowns  with,  in  some  cases,  sleeveless  yellow  jack- 
ets over  them,  of  the  Chinese  Christian  preachers  and 
students  who  were  there  to  do  honour  to  Dr.  Mac- 
Kay.  Darting  back  and  forth,  chattering,  screaming, 
quarrelling  in  high-pitched  nasal  tones,  were  bronzed, 
sweating,  almost  naked  coolies,  each  trying  to  get  ahead 
of  the  other  and  earn  the  most  cash. 

It  was  a  scene  of  which  Sinclair  never  tired.  Fas- 
cinated by  this  strange  mingling  of  the  East  and  the 
West  he  leaned  over  the  rail,  watching  every  move- 
ment.   A  quick  step  approached  him : 

''  Dr.  Sinclair,  as  soon  as  your  duties  here  are  done, 
you  will  come  to  my  house  and  be  my  guest.  The 
college  coolies  will  bring  up  your  baggage.  If  I  am 
not  there,  Mrs.  MacKay  will  receive  you  and  look 
after  your  wants." 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  MacKay.  I  shall  be  very  glad 
to  accept  your  hospitality  for  a  time.  I  shall  prob- 
ably be  with  you  to-morrow." 

MacKay  was  gone  as  quickly  as  he  had  come.  A 
minute  or  two  later  his  native  converts  were  receiv- 
ing him  with  the  oft-repeated  salutation :  "  Peng-an, 
Kai  Bok-su!  Kai  Bok-su,  peng-an!"  (Peace,  Pastor 
MacKay !    Pastor  MacKay,  peace ! ) . 

One  of  the  oldest  preachers  walked  off  with  him  up 
the  narrow,  climbing  path.  The  rest  tailed  out  in 
single  file  behind. 

There  was  another  quicker  and  lighter  step,  accom- 
panied by  the  rustle  of  a  woman's  garments.  Sinclair 
turned  to  find  himself  face  to  face  with  Miss  Mac- 
Allister.  Her  eyes  were  sparkling  with  mischief,  her 
hand  was  extended  in  farewell : 


PARRIED  47 

"  Good-bye,  Dr.  Sinclair.  I  have  enjoyed  this  voy- 
age so  much.  I  hope  that  we  shall  meet  again.  But, 
if  we  should  not,  I  shall  never  forget  your  rescue  of 
that  Chinese,  the  heroism  and  the  grace  you  displayed. 
Really,  I  never  shall." 

It  was  premeditated,  and  she  intended  to  escape  the 
moment  the  shaft  was  shot.  But  Sinclair  was  not  so 
nonplussed  as  he  had  been  at  their  first  encounter. 
He  held  her  hand  firmly  so  that  she  could  not  get 
away,  long  enough  to  reply : 

"  Good-bye,  Miss  MacAllister.  I  am  delighted  to 
know  that  I  have  given  you  pleasure.  I  should 
be  happy  to  make  a  similar  exhibition  of  myself 
any  day,  if  it  would  only  contribute  to  your  enjoy- 
ment.'* 

He  released  her  hand  and  she  escaped  into  the 
saloon.  The  colour  which  overspread  her  face  was 
not  all  the  flush  of  triumph.  This  time  she  had  met 
the  unexpected. 

"  Well  parried,  Doc,"  said  a  voice  beside  him. 
*'That  fair  tyrant  was  beginning  to  think  that  you 
were  an  easy  mark.  But  you  gave  her  as  much  as 
you  got  this  time.  .  .  .  Here's  a  chit  for  you.  .  .  . 
From  the  consulate." 

"  Where's  the  boy?  "  said  Sinclair,  taking  the  letter 
McLeod  held  out  to  him.  "  I  had  better  sign  his  chit- 
book." 

*'  You  don't  need  to.  I  signed  for  you.  There's  the 
boy  going  back,"  replied  the  mate,  pointing  to  a 
Chinese  in  the  dark  blue  and  red  uniform  of  the  Brit- 
ish consul's  service,  climbing  the  steep  path  up  to  where 
the  old  Dutch  fort  and  the  consul's  house  crowned 
the  lofty  hill  above  them.  "  Don't  think  that  you  are 
the  only  one  to  get  a  billet-doux  like  that.    The  cap- 


48  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

tain  and  I  are  among  the  favoured.    It's  a  bid  to  din- 
ner at  the  consulate  to-morrow  evening." 

Sinclair  opened  and  glanced  at  the  note.  It  was 
a  brief  and  formal  invitation : 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beauchamp  request  the  pleasure  of  the  com- 
pany of  Dr.  Donald  Sinclair  at  dinner  at  7:30  on  Tuesday  the 
5th  instant. 
H.  B.  M.  Consulate, 
Tamsui, 
August  4th,  1884." 

"  I  guess  I'll  be  able  to  go.  Though  I  promised  to 
put  myself  in  MacKay's  hands  to-morrow,  and  he  may 
have  something  else  on  for  me." 

**  No  danger !  MacKay  knows  everything  that's  go- 
ing on  as  well  as  the  next  one.  He  will  not  ask  you 
to  do  anything  which  will  conflict  with  a  dinner  at 
the  consulate.  If  he's  at  home,  he'll  be  there  himself. 
You  just  lay  out  to  be  present.  Mrs.  Beauchamp 
is  famous  for  the  chow  she  provides.  Where  she  gets 
it  out  here  off  the  earth,  I  don't  know.  And  for  en- 
tertaining guests,  she  and  Beauchamp  haven't  their 
equals  on  the  Coast." 

"  You're  a  great  pleader,  Mac.  Fll  give  you  my 
word.     I'll  go." 

"  And  the  Highland  girl  will  be  there." 

"Look  here,  McLeod,  you're  gone  batty  on  that 
subject.  I  know  an  address  in  Prince  Edward  Island. 
If  you  continue  to  talk  as  foolishly  as  you  have  been 
doing  the  last  few  days,  I'll  write  and  peach  on  you." 

"  Oh,  no,  you  won't !  But  just  to  change  the  sub- 
ject, look  at  old  De  Vaux  meeting  them.  He's  so  ex- 
cited that  I  shouldn't  wonder  to  see  him  take  an  apo- 
plectic fit." 

Mr.  MacAllister,  his  wife,  and  daughter  had  just 
left  the  boat.    A  large,  fleshy  man,  with  a  clean-shaven. 


PARRIED  49 

florid  face,  bulging  blue  eyes,  and  all  his  features  ex- 
cept the  double  chin  bunched  unnecessarily  close 
together,  was  hurrying  forward  to  meet  them  in  a 
state  of  perspiring  excitement  and  nervousness.  He 
was  carrying  his  white  sun-helmet  in  one  hand,  mop- 
ping his  brows  with  a  huge  handkerchief  held  in  the 
other,  and  all  the  while  the  mid-summer  tropical  sun 
was  beaming  down  on  his  shining  face,  and  on  his 
head  with  its  quite  inadequate  covering  of  hair. 

"Mr.  MacAllister!  .  .  .  You  cannot  know  what 
pleasure  it  gives  me  to  welcome  you  to  Formosa.  .  .  . 
Ton  my  soul,  you  cannot!  ...  I  have  been  twenty 
years  in  Formosa,  and  this  is  the  greatest  pleasure  I 
have  experienced.  .  .  .    Ton  my  honour,  it  is !  " 

"  Glad  to  see  you  again,  Mr.  De  Vaux.  If  I  re- 
member right,  the  last  time  we  saw  each  other  was 
in  our  office  at  Amoy,  five  years  ago  last  May." 

"  That  is  so,  Mr.  MacAllister.  .  .  .  Lord,  what  a 
memory  you  have!  ...  I  don't  know  another  man 
on  the  China  Coast  who  would  have  remembered  a 
date  like  that.  .  .  .     Ton  my  soul,  I  do  not !  " 

"  Mr.  De  Vaux,  I  wish  you  to  meet  my  wife  and 
daughter.  My  dear,  allow  me  to  present  Mr.  De  Vaux. 
My  wife,  Mr.  De  Vaux.    My  daughter,  Mr.  De  Vaux." 

The  stout  man  bent  double  in  profound  bows,  drop- 
ping his  hat  to  the  very  ground,  gurgling  something 
almost  inarticulate  with  excitement : 

"  Mrs.  MacAllister !  .  .  .  I  am  so  pleased !  .  .  . 
Bless  my  soul !  Miss  MacAllister.  .  .  .  This  is  the  hap- 
piest moment  of  my  life.  .  .  .  Ton  my  honour,  it  is !  " 

Above  them  on  the  deck  Sinclair  was  saying  to 
McLeod : 

"  Who  is  this  De  Vaux,  anyway?  Of  course,  I  know 
that  he  is  chief  agent  in  Formgsa  gi  MacAllister, 


60  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Munro  Co.  But  who  is  he  and  what  are  his  ante- 
cedents ?  " 

"That  is  just  the  question,"  replied  McLeod.  "  We 
know,  and  we  don't  know.  We  know  that  the  Hon- 
ourable Lionel  Percival  Dudley  de  Vaux  is  the  oldest 
known  son  of  the  late  Lord  Eversleigh,  the  oldest 
brother  or  half-brother  of  the  present  lord.  But  w^hy 
he  is  out  here  sweltering  and  swearing  in  this  steam- 
bath  of  a  climate  while  his  younger  brother  enjoys  the 
cool  shade  of  his  ancestral  parks  and  halls,  and  holds 
down  a  seat  in  the  Lords,  no  one  seems  to  know. 
Some  say  that  he  is  the  son  of  the  late  lord  by  a  Scotch 
marriage  in  his  wild-oat  stage;  some  that  he  is  a  son 
born  to  the  late  lord  by  the  countess  dowager  before 
wedlock.  At  any  rate,  he  was  shipped  to  the  Far 
East  as  a  boy,  and  here  he  has  been  these  more  than 
twenty  years,  pensioned,  they  say,  to  keep  out  of 
England." 

''  He  seems  to  be  very  excitable,"  said  Sinclair,  as 
he  looked  down  at  the  stout,  perspiring  individual,  who 
was  still  holding  his  hat  in  his  hand,  still  bowing,  still 
gurgling  in  a  high-toned  voice,  while  his  face  and 
head  grew  redder  and  shinier  every  moment. 

**  Yes,  he  is  now.  When  he  came  out  first,  they  say 
that  he  was  a  regular  Lord  Chesterfield  in  his  man- 
ners. But  he  was  here  alone  for  years.  No  comforts 
but  drink  and  a  yellow  woman.  He  took  to  both. 
These  with  the  isolation  and  the  climate  have  made 
him  what  he  is.  When  he  meets  a  white  woman  he 
loses  his  head  completely.  Any  little  irritation  in 
business  sends  him  right  up  in  the  air.  Then  he 
swears.  We  call  him  old  De  Vaux.  In  fact  he  has 
hardly  reached  middle  age.  The  life  here  is  killing 
him.    If  he  doesn't  die  of  apoplexy  one  of  those  days, 


PARRIED  61 

he'll  commit  suicide.  And  he's  not  a  bad  old  soul. 
Just  the  victim  of  his  parent's  wrong-doing.  Poor 
old  De  Vaux!" 

Just  then  they  heard  Miss  MacAllister  saying  in  a 
tone  of  utmost  concern: 

**  Mr.  De  Vaux,  will  you  not  put  on  your  hat?  I  am 
so  afraid  that  your  head  will  get  sunburned." 

"  A  sunstroke  you  mean,  my  dear,"  said  her  father, 
"  a  sunstroke." 

'*  No,  father,  I  mean  sunburned.  Really,  Mr.  De 
Vaux's  head  is  becoming  quite  crimson." 

'*  Lord !  .  .  .  Miss  MacAllister !  .  .  .  How  good 
of  you  to  notice  that!  .  .  .  Bless  my  soul!  ...  I 
never  thought  of  it.  .  .  .  'Pon  my  honour,  I  didn't !  .  .  . 
A  man  should  put  on  his  hat  in  a  sun  like  this.  .  .  . 
Ton  my  soul,  he  should !  .  .  ." 

He  was  still  executing  a  sort  of  war-dance  around 
the  ladies  and  still  holding  his  hat  in  his  hand.  Mr. 
MacAllister  took  him  gently  by  the  arm. 

"  My  dear  De  Vaux,"  he  said,  ''  it  has  been  exceed- 
ingly kind  of  you  to  come  down  to  meet  us  as  you 
have  done,  and  to  provide  those  sedan  chairs,  for  I 
can  see  that  it  is  you  who  have  engaged  them.  With 
your  permission,  we'll  go  to  our  quarters  now.  The 
captain  promised  to  see  that  our  baggage  was  sent  over 
at  once.  After  tiffin,  I  am  sure  that  you  will  be  so 
good  as  to  accompany  me  to  call  on  the  consul." 

As  the  four  chairs  were  borne  off  along  the  narrow 
road  by  the  shore,  McLeod  said  to  Sinclair: 

*'  MacAllister's  a  trum.p.  He  saved  the  situation. 
Old  De  Vaux  was  just  ready  to  go  up  like  a  balloon, 
and — swear." 

And  Sinclair  thought  to  himself  as  he  turned  away : 

"  Miss  MacAllister  has  found  another  victim." 


INTRODUCTIONS 

A  FEW  minutes  before  the  time  appointed  for  din- 
ner, Sinclair  strolled  over  to  the  consulate.  A 
^  couple  of  the  I.M.C.  officers  joined  him  on  the 
way.  Out  on  the  broad  verandah  the  consul  and  his 
wife  were  receiving  their  guests,  taking  every  advan- 
tage possible  of  the  slight  coolness  of  the  evening  air. 
None  had  yet  gone  inside.  Some  lounged  on  the 
verandah.  Most  were  strolling  about  the  grounds,  on 
the  gravelled  walks  or  the  green  of  the  tennis  lawn 
between  the  house  and  the  old  Dutch  fort. 

Many  coloured  paper  lanterns  hung  from  the  cocoa- 
nut  and  areca  palms,  were  nestled  in  the  clumps  of 
oleanders,  or  were  strung  on  wires  around  the  veran- 
dah. On  the  side  of  the  house  shaded  from  the  sun- 
set glow,  native  servants  were  already  lighting  them. 

It  was  a  scene  of  rare  beauty.  The  broad  river 
gleaming  between  its  lofty  banks:  the  green  moun- 
tain towering  up  on  the  opposite  shore:  the  glassy 
ocean  stretching  away  to  where  the  sun  had  sunk 
to  rest  in  its  waters:  the  old  fort  lifting  its  dark, 
massive  walls  and  battlements,  undecayed  by  centuries 
of  tropical  storm  and  tropical  sun,  against  the  pale 
yellow  and  rose  and  purple  of  the  sunset  sky:  the 
strange,  rich  vegetation  of  a  tropic  clime,  amidst  which 
moved  men  and  women  in  conventional  evening  dress, 
as  they  would  have  done  in  the  drawing-rooms  of 
England. 


INTRODUCTIONS  63 


Save  for  the  shrilling  of  the  cicadas  and  the  quiet 
voices  of  the  hosts  and  their  guests,  the  air  was  as 
still  as  if  it  had  never  known  disturbance.  Yet  all 
that  day,  from  eight  a.m.  till  nearly  sundown,  it  had 
quivered  with  the  roar  of  heavy  ordnance  and  the  rat- 
tle of  machine  guns.  Less  than  twenty  miles  away, 
across  those  hills  to  the  east,  the  French  fleet  had 
poured  a  tempest  of  shot  and  shell  from  its  long  naval 
guns  and  mitrailleuses  into  the  Chinese  forts  at 
Keelung,  and  the  Chinese  had  replied  from  their 
Krupps  and  Armstrongs  till  their  defences  tumbled 
about  their  ears.  Now  the  game  of  war  was  over 
for  the  day,  and  all  seemed  as  peaceful  as  if  it  had 
never  been  played.  But  the  conversation  of  the  guests 
continually  reverted  to  the  tempest  which  had  so  sud- 
denly broken  upon  the  island. 

Just  at  the  hour  set  for  dinner  the  little  gunboat, 
the  Locust,  which  had  been  away  since  early  dawn, 
was  seen  steaming  up  the  harbour.  As  she  passed 
the  consulate,  a  boat  dropped  from  her  and  pulled 
swiftly  in  towards  the  jetty.  At  the  sight  of  it  the 
host  and  hostess  led  the  way  into  the  brightly-lighted 
drawing-room. 

"  Commander  Gardenier  has  made  jolly  good  time," 
said  the  consul.  "  We  can  well  afford  to  wait  a  few 
minutes  for  him.  He'll  be  here  directly.  In  the  mean- 
time we  can  get  acquainted.'* 

While  the  host  was  busy  with  introductions,  Sinclair 
had  time  to  consider  the  company.  He  had  met  al- 
most all  before.  But  he  had  not  by  any  means  satis- 
fied his  keen  interest  in  their  personal  characteristics. 
One  by  one  he  studied  the  men  and  women  before 
him,  taking  in  with  the  celerity  of  one  who  has  long 
practised  it  as  an  art  the  physical  type  of  each,  and 


54  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

estimating  the  mental  peculiarities  which  lay  behind 
the  outward  forms. 

The  first  was  the  consul.  Of  barely  middle  height, 
but  perfectly  proportioned,  every  movement  betrayed 
muscles  trained  and  developed  by  consistent  physical 
exercise.  The  keen,  bright  blue  eyes,  looking  out  of 
a  sunburned  face,  the  small,  closely-clipped  moustache, 
the  nervous,  vigorous  movements,  hardly  needed  the 
confirmation  of  his  short,  quick  sentences  and  decisive 
accents  to  tell  the  story  of  his  character.  The  inter- 
ests of  his  country  would  not  suffer  at  his  hands  for 
lack  of  courage  or -decision. 

Mrs.  Beauchamp  was  a  small  woman,  somewhat 
delicate  in  appearance.  Her  slight  figure  was  well 
set  off  by  the  rich  simplicity  of  her  evening  gown. 
The  quiet  ease  of  her  manners  spoke  of  a  lifetime 
spent  in  the  atmosphere  of  polite  society. 

In  sharp  contrast  was  Mrs.  MacAllister — large, 
stout,  middle-aged,  with  raven  black  hair,  and  the 
bright  colour  characteristic  of  her  Highland  people 
still  warm  in  her  cheeks.  Considering  the  occasion 
and  the  tropic  heat,  she  was  over-dressed.  More  no- 
ticeable still  was  the  fact  that  she  was  not  at  home 
in  her  present  surroundings.  With  her  husband  she 
had  risen  from  a  humble  station  in  life  to  wealth, 
and  the  entree  into  social  circles  which  wealth  gives. 
The  wife  of  the  great  London  merchant  and  financier 
must  not  be  overlooked.  Oh,  no!  Indeed,  she  had 
no  desire  to  be  overlooked.  She  had  brought  from 
an  almost  menial  position  an  exaggerated  reverence 
for  the  gentry,  and  the  ambition  to  associate  with 
them.  Yet  she  was  never  at  ease  in  their  company. 
Her  husband  showed  the  poise  of  one  who  could  adapt 
himself  to  any  position  in  life,  and  manifested  no  em- 


INTRODUCTIONS  66 

barrassment  or  awkwardness  in  any  company.  But 
Mrs.  MacAllister  was  never  free  from  constraint  at 
social  functions,  and  her  attempts  to  appear  at  home 
sometimes  resulted  in  disaster. 

There  was  another  married  woman  present — Mrs. 
Thomson,  the  wife  of  Dr.  MacKay's  colleague.  Youth- 
ful in  face  and  figure,  she  was  dressed  plainly,  almost 
to  the  verge  of  severity.  But  her  quick  wit  and  viva- 
cious manner  gathered  a  little  group  of  the  guests 
about  her,  and  more  than  atoned  for  the  common- 
place dulness  of  her  husband. 

Standing  among  some  tropic  plants  just  outside  a 
French  window,  Sinclair,  unobserved  himself,  was  able 
to  study  each  one  in  succession.  But  ever  and  anon 
his  eyes  turned  to  where  nearly  half  the  men  present 
had  gathered  around  the  only  other  woman  who  was 
there  to  grace  the  occasion.  Miss  MacAllister  was 
facing  him,  and  he  could  note  every  play  of  expression 
on  her  countenance.  There  was  a  rapid  exchange  of 
conversation,  and  she  had  an  answer  for  every  one. 
The  rippling  laughter  he  had  heard  on  the  deck  of 
the  Hailoong  now  sounded  over  the  murmur  of  voices 
in  the  drawing-room. 

*'  What  a  queenly  stature  and  bearing ! "  Sinclair 
thought  to  himself. 

It  was  true.  Miss  MacAllister  was  taller  than  all 
but  one  of  the  little  circle  of  men  gathered  about 
her.  She  held  her  small  head,  with  its  wavy  crown  of 
rich  brown  hair,  as  if  she  were  proud  of  her  com- 
manding height.  Her  eyes,  so  dark  a  blue  that  in  the 
light  of  the  candles  they  seemed  black,  looked  right 
over  the  heads  of  the  men  of  average  stature. 

Yet,  if  her  height  was  masculine,  there  was  nothing 
masculine   about  her  figure.     Though  well  propor- 


56  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

tioned  and  vigorous,  it  gave  the  general  impression  of 
slightness.  Neither  was  there  a  trace  of  masculinity 
about  the  face.  It  was  thoroughly  feminine,  with  its 
somewhat  low  forehead,  its  small,  straight  nose,  the 
rich,  Highland  colour  in  the  softly-rounded  cheeks,  the 
small  chin,  and  the  lips  parted  in  merry  laughter — a 
thoroughly  girlish  face. 

Keeping  himself  in  the  shadow,  and  looking  at  her 
in  the  bright  light  of  the  drawing-room,  Sinclair 
thought  that  rarely,  if  ever,  had  he  seen  a  more  strik- 
ingly beautiful  woman.  He  wondered  that  he  had 
not  noticed  it  before.  Then  he  laughed  to  himself 
as  he  remembered  that,  during  their  short  acquaint- 
ance, he  had  so  often  suffered  from  her  raillery  that 
he  had  been  in  little  humour  for  appreciation  or 
admiration. 

"  A  pretty  picture,  that !  "  said  McLeod's  voice  at  his 
shoulder.    "  I  am  glad  to  see  you  enjoying  it,  doctor." 

"  Until  I  get  better  acquainted  I  prefer  looking  on 
to  taking  part  in  the  conversation.  It's  an  interesting 
study." 

"  Isn't  she  a  beauty  ?  That  evening  rig  sets  her  off 
to  perfection."  McLeod  generally  used  nautical  terms 
to  describe  dress,  on  which  he  was  not  an  expert. 

"  I  see  that  you  are  still  on  the  same  tack,"  replied 
Sinclair,  with  a  laugh.  *'  But  really  I  agree  with  you 
that  the  '  rig '  does  suit  her,  and  that  she  is  a  beauty. 
Who  is  that  tall,  dark  fellow  who  is  trying  to  mo- 
nopolize the  conversation  with  her?" 

"  English  remittance  man.  A  younger  son,  no  bet- 
ter than  he  ought  to  be.  Sent  out  here  to  be  rid  of 
him.    In  a  moment  of  weakness  the  I.G.*  gave  him  a 

*Sir  Robert  Hart,  Inspector-General  of  Chinese  customs,  was 
familiarly  known  as  the  I.G. 


INTRODUCTIONS  57 

place  on  the  customs.  .  .  .  But  here  comes  Beau- 
champ." 

*'  Is  this  where  you  are,  Sinclair  ?  I  have  been  look- 
ing around  for  you.    Have  you  met  every  one  yet  ?  " 

"  I  believe  so,  Mr.  Beauchamp,  except  the  tall  gen- 
tleman talking  to  Miss  MacAllister." 

"  Come  along  then  and  I'll  introduce  you  before  I 
have  to  receive  Gardenier.  .  .  .  Miss  MacAllister,  I 
am  sure  you  will  pardon  me  for  interrupting  your 
conversation.  I  should  like  to  make  these  gentlemen 
acquainted.  .  .  .  Dr.  Sinclair,  the  Honourable  Regi- 
nald Carteret  of  the  Imperial  Maritime  Customs 
staff.  .  .  .  Will  you  excuse  me  now?  I  see  Com- 
mander Gardenier  at  the  door." 

Sinclair  saluted  Carteret  with  the  frank,  easy  cour- 
tesy which  suited  so  well  his  big,  powerful  frame  and 
pleasant  countenance.  The  acknowledgment  w^as  a 
slight,  stiff  bow  and  a  brief : 

*'  Glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Fm  sure." 

The  tone  and  the  words  stung  Sinclair.  His  face 
lost  something  of  its  good-humour.  His  lips  closed 
tightly.  A  gleam  of  anger  showed  for  an  instant  in 
his  blue  eyes.  The  signs  of  irritation  passed  quickly. 
But  it  was  in  a  colder  and  more  formal  tone  that  he 
uttered  some  commonplaces,  to  which  Carteret  made 
a  commonplace  reply. 

Slight  as  were  the  changes  of  tone  and  manner, 
they  were  not  lost  on  Miss  MacAllister.  She  had  noted 
the  unconscious  ease  with  which  Sinclair  had  met 
Carteret,  and  had  been  surprised  at  the  supercilious- 
ness, almost  insolence,  of  the  latter's  response.  She 
had  caught  that  momentary  flash  of  the  eye,  betray- 
ing the  rising  anger,  immediately  brought  under 
control. 


58  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Then  as  the  two  young  men  exchanged  a  sentence 
or  two  of  polite  formahties,  she  mentally  compared 
them.  Both  were  tall  men — with  the  possible  exception 
of  her  father,  much  the  tallest  men  in  the  company. 
Neither  was  less  than  six  feet  in  height.  The  Eng- 
lishman was  the  slighter  of  the  two,  though  fairly  ath- 
letic in  appearance.  He  was  black-haired  and  dark- 
eyed.  A  black  moustache  and  well-trimmed  pointed 
beard  gave  him  a  foreign  appearance  and  made  him 
look  older  than  his  five-and-twenty  years. 

The  Canadian  was  equally  tall,  but  broad-shouldered 
and  deep-chested.  The  massive  head  with  its  abun- 
dance of  loosely-curled  hair,  so  light  in  colour  as  to 
be  almost  golden,  the  clear-cut  features,  fair  complex- 
ion, and  singularly  bright  blue  eyes  reminded  her  of 
pictures  of  idealized  Vikings  she  had  seen  at  home. 
Perhaps  it  was  more  than  a  fanciful  resemblance. 
Sinclair's  forefathers  had  come  from  Caithness  to 
Canada,  and  the  blood  of  Norsemen  probably  flowed 
in  his  veins.  Though  older  by  a  couple  of  years  than 
the  Englishman,  Sinclair's  fair,  clean-shaven  face 
looked  years  younger  than  Carteret's.  Li  spite  of  the 
maturity  of  the  broad,  white  forehead,  it  was  almost 
a  boyish  face,  with  its  cheerful,  eager  outlook  on 
life. 

"  Allow  me  to  apologize.  Miss  MacAllister,  for  hav- 
ing interrupted  your  conversation  with  Mr.  Carteret. 
The  consul  simply  projected  me  into  the  midst  of  it." 

"A  heavy  projectile.  Dr.  Sinclair,  for  so  light  an 
explosive!  With  the  thunder  of  the  bombardment 
still  in  our  ears,  I  suppose  that  we  cannot  help  talking 
in  terms  of  cannonading.  But  I  assure  you  that  no 
apologies  are  necessary.  I  am  ever  so  glad  to  meet 
again  a  companion  of  our  eventful  voyage." 


INTRODUCTIONS  59 

She  looked  so  charmingly  sincere  that  Sinclair  won- 
dered to  himself  if  she  really  meant  it. 

"  Attention !  The  consul  is  marshalling  the  com- 
pany for  dining-room  parade,"  said  Mr.  Boville,  the 
commissioner  of  customs. 

*'  Exactly  seven  minutes  and  forty  seconds  late," 
said  Carteret,  looking  at  his  watch.  *'  Beauchamp 
will  not  recover  from  this  for  a  year.  He'll  have  to 
report  it  to  the  Foreign  Office  and  ask  that  his  leave 
be  postponed  six  months  as  a  punishment." 

"Why?  Is  Mr.  Beauchamp  so  particular  about 
being  punctual  ?  "  asked  Miss  MacAllister. 

"  Latest  for  an  engagement  he  was  ever  known  to 
be,  three  minutes  and  fifteen  seconds.  That  was  be- 
cause of  a  typhoon." 

"  Pity  that  there  were  not  more  like  him ! "  said 
the  commissioner  tartly. 

"  Commander  Gardenier,  you  will  conduct  my  wife 
to  the  dining-room.  Mr.  MacAllister,  will  you  take  in 
Mrs.  Thomson?  And  Mr.  Boville,  Miss  MacAllister. 
The  less  fortunate  gentlemen  will  follow." 

Offering  his  arm  to  Mrs.  MacAllister,  the  consul 
led  the  way. 


VI 

ON  THE  DEFENSIVE 

THE  commissioner  of  customs  had  the  honour 
of  conducting  Miss  MacAllister  to  the  table, 
because  his  official  position  and  his  long  years 
of  residence  in  the  island  gave  him  precedence  over 
the  newcomers,  or  those  who  were  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits.  In  appearance  he  was  ill-suited  to  be 
the  escort  of  such  a  young  and  queenly  person.  He 
was  middle-aged,  very  bald,  rotund  in  figure,  and  so 
short  that  his  head  was  hardly  level  with  her  shoulder. 

When  she  took  Boville's  proffered  arm,  she  real- 
ized how  absurd  their  disproportionate  statures  must 
appear.  Involuntarily  she  glanced  around  to  find  Sin- 
clair. He  was  just  offering  his  arm  to  McLeod,  for 
lack  of  a  lady  companion.  A  moment  later  she  heard 
their  voices  at  her  back,  and  knew  that  they  had  taken 
their  places  in  the  little  procession  immediately  behind 
her  and  the  commissioner.  Then  the  voices  ceased, 
and  instinctively  she  felt  that  they  were  laughing 
silently.  Her  figure  stiffened,  and  she  held  her  head  a 
trifie  higher  than  before.  Her  escort  made  the  most 
of  his  five  feet  one  or  two,  but  do  his  best  he  couldn't 
get  the  shiny  top  of  his  head  above  her  shoulder. 

As  they  entered  the  dining-room  she  caught  a 
glimpse  of  McLeod's  face.  He  was  laughing  undis- 
guisedly.  When  she  took  her  place  at  the  table  she 
found  herself  facing  Sinclair.  He  was  not  looking 
at  her.    He  was  watching  the  last  of  the  guests  filing 

60 


ON  THE  DEFENSIVE  61 

in,  and  was  trying  to  look  unconcerned.  But  there 
was  a  suspicious  quivering  of  his  mouth  and  a  sparkle 
in  his  eyes.    Her  quick  Celtic  blood  took  fire  at  once. 

"He's  laughing  at  me,"  she  thought  to  herself. 
"  How  dare  he  ?  There's  no  limit  to  the  presumption 
of  those  Canadians.     But  I'll  teach  him." 

Strange  to  say,  she  quite  forgot  how  she  had  laughed 
at  him  on  board  the  Hailoong.  Stranger  still,  she 
seemed  to  take  no  offence  at  the  laughter  of  McLeod, 
who  also  was  a  Canadian. 

As  soon  as  they  were  seated,  the  natives  out  on  the 
verandah  began  to  pull  the  cords;  the  punkah  began 
to  wave  to  and  fro  and  creak.  It  wouldn't  have  been 
a  punkah  if  it  hadn't  creaked.  The  consul,  who  had 
nerves,  had  striven  to  put  an  end  to  the  creaking, 
but  had  failed.  The  creak  was  an  essential  part  of 
the  punkah.  But  there  was  no  creaking  about  the 
movements  of  the  waiters.  Noiseless  as  spectres,  the 
"  boys  "  in  their  long  blue  gowns  moved  quickly  in 
and  out,  back  and  forth,  their  felt-soled  shoes  sliding 
silently  over  the  smooth  tiled  floor. 

**  Commander  Gardenier,  we  have  all  been  models 
of  patience.  No  one  has  asked  you  how  the  day  went 
at  Keelung.  But  you  cannot  expect  us  to  wait  much 
longer.  Such  virtue  would  be  superhuman.  Do  tell 
the  company  what  all  the  noise  was  about  to-day  and 
who  got  the  better  of  it." 

A  murmur  of  applause  greeted  the  consul's  request, 
and  all  eyes  turned  towards  the  bronzed  sailor  who 
sat  beside  Mrs.  Beauchamp.  He  seemed  a  little  un- 
comfortable under  the  expectant  gaze  of  so  many 
eyes  and  answered  modestly : 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  can,  tell  you  much  about  it. 
The  French  had  three  ships  at  it.    On  their  part  the 


62  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Chinese  in  the  big  new  fort  on  the  east  side  of  the 
harbour  and  in  the  old  fortifications  on  the  west  side 
were  engaged.  Between  them  they  put  up  a  pretty 
scrap  for  a  while." 

"  Really!  Did  the  Chinese  actually  pretend  to  offer 
any  resistance  to  the  French  ?  "  inquired  Carteret. 

''  There  was  no  pretending.  They  offered  resist- 
ance, and  a  very  effectual  one  for  a  time,"  replied 
Gardenier.  "  You  know,  Beauchamp,  the  lie  of  the 
harbour?  " 

The  consul  nodded. 

*'  The  old  corvette  Villars  was  anchored  in  the  inner 
harbour,  opposite  the  south  side  of  Palm  Island.  She 
pelted  away  with  her  guns  and  mitrailleuses  at  the 
new  fort  at  a  thousand-yard  range.  The  little  gun- 
boat Liitin  lay  close  in  shore  on  the  west  side  and 
hammered  the  old  fortifications  there.  Admiral 
Lespes,  in  La  Galissomiiere,  lay  in  the  outer  harbour 
and  raked  both  sides  with  his  long  guns." 

"I  should  think  that  he  would  be  in  little  danger 
there,"  said  one  of  the  merchants.  ''  The  Chinese  gun- 
ners couldn't  hit  a  range  of  mountains,  let  alone  a 
ship,  at  that  range." 

**  That  is  just  where  you  are  mistaken.  They  put 
three  holes  into  La  Galissonniere  just  above  water- 
line,  almost  as  soon  as  the  game  commenced.  If  they 
didn't  beat  off  the  French  to-day,  it  was  not  the  fault 
of  their  gunners.  It  was  because  their  works  could 
not  stand  the  French  fire.  The  Chinese  worked  their 
guns  till  their  forts  were  knocked  to  pieces." 

"  Did  the  French  land  any  men?"  inquired  Boville. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Gardenier.  "  When  we  left  Kee- 
king, a  landing-party  of  marines  had  just  hoisted  the 
French  flag  on  the  ruined  Chinese  fort." 


ON  THE  DEFENSIVE  63 

"  Then  Keelung  is  in  the  hands  of  the  French  ?  " 

"  Yes.  That  is  if  by  Keelung  you  mean  a  strip  of 
a  few  hundred  feet  wide  around  the  harbour.  But 
the  hills  all  around  that  again  are  occupied  by  the 
Chinese." 

"  Little  difference  that  will  make,"  said  Carteret. 
"  The  Celestials  have  had  all  they  want.  At  the  first 
sign  of  a  French  advance  they'll  run,  and  never  stop 
running  till  they  reach  Taipeh." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  replied  Gardenier, 
a  trifle  coldly.  "  In  the  first  place,  the  French  have 
no  land  forces  with  which  to  make  an  advance.  In 
the  second  place,  the  Chinese  are  better  fighters  than 
you  give  them  credit  for,  Mr.  Carteret.  All  they 
need  is  a  good  leader,  and  I  believe  that  they  have 
such  a  man  in  Liu  Ming-chuan." 

"  And  in  the  third  place,"  said  Beauchamp,  "  the 
Keelung  climate  is  enough  to  defeat  the  French  if 
there  were  no  Chinese.  By  the  time  their  transports 
arrive  the  northeast  monsoon  will  be  about  due. 
Then  the  Lord  help  them!  One  of  the  wettest  spots 
on  earth.  Boville,  what  is  the  annual  rainfall  over 
there?" 

"  One  hundred  and  fifty-eight  inches  on  the  average. 
One  year  it  lacked  only  an  inch  and  a  half  of  the 
two  hundred." 

"  One  hundred  and  fifty-eight  inches,"  repeated 
MacAllister.  "  That  does  not  convey  much  meaning 
to  my  mind.  How  does  it  compare  with  some  climates 
we  do  know?    That  of  London,  for  example?  " 

"  Ashamed  to  say  that  I  don't  know  London's  rain- 
fall," said  the  consul.  "  All  I  remember  is  that  it 
seemed  to  do  little  else  but  rain  there  when  I  was  a 
boy.     Boville?  .  .  .     Carteret?  .  .  .     You  are  Lon- 


64^  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

doners.  .  .  .  What?  Do  none  of  you  know?  .  .  . 
Shocking  ignorance!" 

**  I  do  not  want  to  put  forward  my  opinion  on  the 
climate  of  London  in  a  company  of  Englishmen,"  said 
Sinclair;  ''but  I  believe  the  rainfall  there  is  about 
twenty-five  inches." 

"  Easy  seeing  that  you  have  not  lived  in  England," 
said  Carteret,  with  the  same  contemptuous  tone  he 
had  already  used  when  introduced  to  Sinclair.  "  A 
hundred  inches  would  be  more  like  it." 

"  Dr.  Sinclair  is  right,"  said  Commander  Gardenier, 
who  had  been  consulting  a  tiny  memorandum  book. 
"  No  considerable  part  of  the  British  Isles  exceeds 
eighty  inches,  and  London  has  twenty-five." 

Miss  MacAllister  flashed  a  quick  glance  at  Sin- 
clair. There  was  admiration  in  it;  admiration  that 
he  should  know  this  simple  scientific  fact  which  those 
who  had  better  opportunities  did  not  know.  She  had 
noted  this  peculiarity  in  him  before,  his  remarkable 
fund  of  accurate  information  on  all  manner  of 
subjects. 

Then  her  mind  took  a  curious  twist.  What  right 
had  he  to  know  the  rainfall  of  London?  What  busi- 
ness had  this  colonial  to  know  a  fact  about  London 
which  a  company  of  Londoners  did  not  know  ?  It  was 
another  proof  of  his  presumption.  She'd  take  some  of 
his  self -confidence  out  of  him.    She'd  teach  him. 

The  conversation  drifted  on  about  the  climate,  the 
war,  the  probability  of  a  bombardment  at  Tamsui, 
the  prospects  of  an  easy  victory  which  most  conceded 
to  the  French. 

"  I  believe  that  you  are  rating  the  Chinese  too  low," 
said  the  consul,  in  reply  to  a  number  of  expressions 
of  such  views.    "  Frorii  what  I  have  seen  of  the  new 


ON  THE  DEFENSIVE  65 

Imperial  Commissioner,  Liu  Ming-chuan,  he  will  give 
the  French  more  than  they  bargained  for.  As  Com- 
mander Gardenier  says,  leaders  are  what  the  Chinese 
need.  When  they  get  a  few  more  men  trained  in 
Western  ideas,  they  are  going  to  surprise  the  world. 
What  do  you  think,  Mr.  De  Vaux?  You  have  known 
them  longer  than  any  of  us." 

*'  Ton  my  soul,  Beauchamp,  I  believe  you  are 
right!  .  .  .  The  Chinese  are  a  smarter  people  than 
they  get  credit  for.  .  .  .  Ton  my  honour,  they 
are!  .  .  .  And  they're  honest,  too.  .  .  .  The  last 
time  I  was  in  America,  a  man  I  had  business  with  in 
New  York  said  that  he  did  not  know  how  I  could  stand 
living  among  those  pig-tails,  as  he  called  them.  .  .  . 
He  wouldn't  live  among  them  for  a  hundred  thousand 
a  year.  ...  It  vexed  me.  ...  I  told  him  that  I'd 
rather  do  business  with  a  good  Chinese  firm  any  time 
than  with  some  Yankees.  .  .  .  Ton  my  soul,  I 
would!  ...  Do  you  know,  that  duffer  cheated  me 
the  very  next  day !  " 

There  was  a  burst  of  laughter  at  De  Vaux's  injured 
tone. 

"  It's  a  fact,"  he  continued,  his  face  and  head  grow- 
ing redder  and  his  voice  higher  at  every  sentence. 
"  And  to  think  of  that  scoundrel  casting  reflections  on 
the  Chinese !  .  .  .    Bless  my  soul !  .  .  .    It  vexes  me 

so!  .  .  .     By !  ...     I  mean  it's  a  thundering 

shame  the  way  the  Chinese  have  been  treated  by  some 
white  people." 

"  What  Mr.  De  Vaux  says  is  true  enough,"  said 
the  consul.  "  I  am  sorry  Dr.  MacKay  is  not  here. 
He  could  give  us  more  information  about  the  prepara- 
tions the  Chinese  have  made  than  any  one  else.  But 
I  understand  that  he  has  gone  over  to  the  vicinity  of 


66  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Keelung  to  look  after  some  of  his  converts  who  are 
in  the  danger  zone.    Is  that  not  so,  Dr.  Sinclair?" 

**  Yes,"  replied  Sinclair.  "  He  could  hardly  wait 
for  tiffin  yesterday,  he  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  catch 
the  first  launch  up  river." 

"  I  saw  him  landing  from  the  launch  at  Twatutia," 
added  one  of  the  merchants.  *'  He  barely  bade  me 
the  time  of  day,  and  set  off  on  foot  for  Keelung  at 
such  a  rate  that  the  Chinese  with  him  had  to  run  to 
keep  up.  I  never  saw  the  like  of  him.  I  wonder  that 
the  heat  does  not  kill  him." 

'*  It  is  perfectly  marvellous  the  amount  of  work  he 
goes  through,  no  matter  how  exhausting  the  heat 
may  be,"  said  Mrs.  Beauchamp.  "  No  person  need 
ever  tell  me  again  that  missionaries  take  easy  times." 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,  I'm  so  sorry !  I  do  believe  that  I 
have  all  the  wines  here  beside  me,  and  your  glasses 
are  empty.  Will  you  not  allow  me  to  pass  some  to 
you?    Which  shall  it  be,  claret  or  sherry  or  port?" 

It  was  Miss  MacAllister,  speaking  in  so  clear  a 
voice  that  it  caught  everybody's  ear  and  attracted  the 
notice  of  all  to  the  fact  that,  while  the  wines  had 
frequently  circulated  around  the  table,  Sinclair's 
glasses  had  never  been  filled.  A  slight  flush,  scarcely 
noticeable  under  the  tan,  climbed  into  visibility  above 
the  line  which  separated  the  sunburn  from  the  white 
of  the  broad  forehead.  The  attention  suddenly  con- 
centrated on  him  was  evidently  unwelcome.  But  it 
was  with  perfect  courtesy  and  good-humour  that  he 
replied : 

"  No  apologies  are  necessary.  Miss  MacAllister.  To 
do  without  wine  is  no  privation  to  me.  My  glasses 
are  not  empty  because  the  wines  have  not  been  offered 
to  me." 


ON  THE  DEFENSIVE  67 

"  Oh !    Perhaps  you  are  a  teetotaller/' 

"  If  you  wish  to  so  describe  me." 

*'  Really !  How  interesting !  I  do  not  think  that  I 
ever  met  one  before." 

"  Your  own  glasses  have  been  filled,  but,  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  they  are  yet  untasted,  Miss  MacAllister." 

"  Oh,  yes !  That's  all  very  well  for  a  woman.  But 
I  mean  a  man.  I  am  sure  that  I  never  before  met  a 
man  who  couldn't  enjoy  a  glass  of  wine,  except  some 
ministers  and  very  immature  youths  in  Bands  of 
Hope." 

A  laugh  went  round  the  table.  Sinclair  joined  in 
it.    But  the  flush  deepened  on  his  forehead. 

"  My  dear,"  interrupted  Mr.  MacAllister,  "  I  am 
afraid  that  you  are  forgetting  your  father.  I  am 
practically  a  total  abstainer." 

"  Oh,  I  know,  father !  But  then  you  are  an  elderly 
man,  and  something  of  a  preacher,  too.  Such  virtue 
is  to  be  expected  in  you.  But  Dr.  Sinclair  is  a  young 
man  and — a  medical  doctor.  To  find  such  extraordi- 
nary rectitude  in  him  is,  as  the  Scotch  would  say,  *  no 
canny.'  " 

Again  the  laugh  went  round  at  the  doctor's  ex- 
pense. The  fair  tyrant  was  getting  even  with  him. 
Mrs.  Thomson,  realizing  the  disadvantage  he  was  at 
in  this  verbal  passage  at  arms  with  a  woman,  spoke 
up  in  her  fellow-countryman's  behalf : 

"  You  must  remember,  Miss  MacAllister,  that  dif- 
ferent countries  have  different  customs.  In  your  home 
surroundings  it  may  have  been  a  manly  thing  to  use 
intoxicants.  Where  Dr.  Sinclair  comes  from  one  of 
the  highest  standards  of  manliness  is  to  be  a  total 
abstainer." 

"  And  pray  tell  us  where  such  lofty  standards  pre- 


68  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

vail  ? "  asked  Carteret.  "  Where  was  Dr.  Sinclair 
reared  ? " 

"  On  a  Canadian  farm."  Sinclair's  voice  had  a  de- 
fiant ring. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  that  it  would  be  the  most  up-to- 
date  school  of  social  usages  in  the  world."  Carteret's 
tone  was  a  trifle  more  insolent  than  before. 

"  Perhaps  not,  Mr.  Carteret.     But  there  was  one 

thing  we  did  learn  there.    We  learned "    A  biting 

retort  was  on  his  tongue.  His  eyes  met  those  of  the 
hostess.  He  paused  and  softened  it.  "  We  learned  to 
give  to  others  the  same  liberty  of  opinion  as  we  claimed 
for  ourselves.  You  claim  the  liberty  to  use  wine.  I 
do  not  interfere  with  your  liberty.  I  claim  the  lib- 
erty to  abstain.  I  expect,  Mr.  Carteret,  the  same  cour- 
tesy in  return." 

Carteret's  face  flushed  a  dark  red.  He,  the  son  of 
an  English  peer,  to  be  taught  a  lesson  in  courtesy  by 
the  son  of  a  Canadian  farmer.  Before  he  kad  time 
to  frame  an  answer  Mrs.  Beauchamp  interposed : 

"  Dr.  Sinclair  is  perfectly  right  to  claim  liberty  on 
this  question.  Our  social  usages  are  apt  to  be- 
come tyrannical.  I  like,  every  once  in  a  while,  to 
see  some  one  independent  enough  to  revolt  against 
them." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Mrs.  Beauchamp," 
said  Commander  Gardenier.  "  I  was  just  beginning 
to  wonder  where  I  came  in.  I  am  an  abstainer.  It 
is  not  because  I  was  trained  to  it  from  a  boy,  for  I 
wasn't.  Nor  is  it  because  of  any  pledge.  It  is  be- 
cause of  my  experience  in  the  navy.  I  have  seen  so 
many  of  the  most  promising  careers  in  the  service 
come  to  nothing,  and  so  many  of  my  seniors  go  down 
and  out  through  drink,  that  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  give 


ON  THE  DEFENSIVE  69 

It  up.  At  our  mess  those  who  wish  to  drink  even  the 
Queen's  health  in  water  are  free  to  do  so." 

"  This  discussion  must  stop  right  now,"  broke  in 
the  consul,  "  or,  by  Jove !  every  man  at  the  table  will 
be  confessing  himself  a  teetotaller,  except  De  Vaux 
and  myself.  We  shall  not  forsake  the  good  old  ways, 
shall  we,  De  Vaux?" 

"  Bless  my  soul,  no,  Beauchamp !  A  little  wine  for 
thy  stomach's  sake,"  replied  De  Vaux  amidst  a  burst 
of  laughter,  for  this  was  one  of  the  most  evident  weak- 
nesses of  this  scion  of  a  noble  house.  Already  his 
high-pitched  voice  was  noticeably  thick. 

Then  the  ladies  retired  to  the  drawing-room,  leav- 
ing the  men  to  their  cigars,  wine,  and  black  coffee. 
Miss  MacAllister  knew  that  she  had  made  Sinclair 
uncomfortable  for  a  time.  But  she  had  also  the 
consciousness  that  her  little  coup  had  not  been  so  suc- 
cessful as  she  had  intended.  Sinclair  had  come  out 
of  the  predicament  she  had  contrived  for  him  with 
rather  the  better  of  her.  And,  curious  as  it  may 
seem,  her  feelings  were  a  bit  injured. 


I 


VII 

SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE 

"  "J"  THINK  we  ought  to  have  some  music/'  said 
Mrs.  Beauchamp,  as  the  men  rejoined  the  ladies 
in  the  drawing-room.  ''  There  is  nothing  which 
takes  me  back  home  like  the  old  home  songs.  I  be- 
lieve that  there  is  considerable  talent  in  our  company 
this  evening.    May  we  not  have  some  songs  ?  " 

*'  Nothing  in  the  world  I  like  better !  Ton  my 
soul,  there  isn't,"  exclaimed  De  Vaux,  who  was  talk- 
ing very  freely  and  was  disposed  to  be  gallant  to- 
wards the  ladies.  He  raised  his  voice,  trembling  per- 
haps with  emotion,  to  a  high  pitch,  and  said :  "  Ladies 
and  gentlemen,  permit  me  to  have  the  honour  on  your 
behalf  of  requesting  our  hostess  to  favour  us  with  a 
song.  Bless  my  soul!  I'd  rather  hear  her  sing  to 
the  accompaniment  of  her  guitar  than  Patti  or 
Albani,  or  any  other  of  their  prima  donnas.  'Pon 
my  honour,  I  would!  .  .  .  Mrs.  Beauchamp,  will 
you  not  accede  to  our  united  request  and  give  us  the 
happiness  of  hearing  you?" 

He  finished  with  a  bow  intended  to  be  as  profound 
as  those  of  his  Lord  Chesterfield  days.  He  seemed 
unconscious  of  the  limitations  imposed  on  him  by  the 
aldermanic  proportions  which  had  come  to  him  since 
his  slim  and  graceful  youth. 

Mrs.  Beauchamp  rose  with  a  smile  which  had  more 
of  sadness  than  of  mirth,  glanced  at  her  husband, 
and  permitted  De  Vaux  to  conduct  her  to  a  seat  near 

70 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  71 

the  piano  and  to  bring  her  guitar.  The  consul  sat 
down  at  the  piano,  ran  his  fingers  over  the  keys, 
touching  soft  chords,  to  which  the  guitar  was  brought 
into  tune.  Then  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  two 
instruments  Mrs.  Beauchamp  sang  in  a  voice,  not 
strong,  but  sweet  and  sympathetic,  a  tender  old  Eng- 
lish love  song. 

"  By !  .  .  .     Bless  my  soul,  I  mean,  it  makes 

me  homesick  to  hear  those  old  songs ! "  exclaittied  De 
Vaux,  amidst  the  applause.  His  voice  was  high  and 
trembling.  There  was  a  suspicious  redness  and  mois- 
ture in  his  eyes.  "  I've  been  more  than  twenty  years 
in  this  forgotten  island.  But  when  I  hear  Mrs.  Beau- 
champ  sing  such  a  song  as  that  I  protest  I  want  to 
take  the  first  boat  home.    Ton  my  honour,  I  do !  " 

"  Oh,  no!  You'll  not  go  back  to  England  just  yet, 
De  Vaux,"  said  the  consul.  "  We  shouldn't  know 
Formosa  without  you.  But  I'll  tell  you  what  you 
will  do.  You'll  sing  something  for  us  yourself,  will 
you  not?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  De  Vaux ! "  exclaimed  several  voices. 
"  Do  sing  something.  Sing  '  Rocked  in  the  Cradle 
of  the  Deep.'  " 

''  That's  De  Vaux's  Royal  George,"  whispered  Mc- 
Leod  to  Sinclair.  '*  He  always  sings  that.  But  he 
won't  sing  it  yet  a  while.  He'll  need  a  few  more 
drinks  first." 

"  'Pon  my  soul,  it's  awfully  good  of  you  to  ask 
me!  .  .  .  I  do  not  profess  to  be  a  singer.  Really! 
I  do  not.  .  .  .  But,  since  you  have  been  so  good  as 
to  ask  me,  I  shall  do  my  best,  on  one  condition,  that 
Mrs.  Beauchamp  will  honour  me  by  playing  my  ac- 
companiment. .  .  .  Mrs.  Beauchamp,  will  you  be  so 
kind  ?  "    Another  bow  meant  to  be  profound. 


72  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  De  Vaux,  with  pleasure." 

In  a  voice  which  had  once  been  a  sweet  tenor,  but 
was  now  fat  and  breathless,  he  sang,  "  Silver  Threads 
Among  the  Gold."  He  had  to  take  a  breath  in  the 
middle  of  every  long  note.  As  for  the  high  ones,  he 
just  touched  them.  Then  his  breath  failed  him,  leav- 
ing the  audience  to  imagine  the  rest.  But  when  he 
was  rewarded  with  a  round  of  applause  he  responded 
with  an  encore,  "  In  the  Gloaming."  His  head  was 
becoming  crimson  with  the  effort.  Perspiration 
streamed  down  his  face  and  neck,  in  spite  of  the  con- 
stant use  of  his  handkerchief.  His  collar  had  melted 
and  fallen  limply  against  his  coat.  The  starch  of  his 
shirt  front  had  disappeared,  leaving  it  but  a  crum- 
pled rag. 

Some  of  the  guests  were  insisting  on  a  third  num- 
ber, when  the  consul  came  to  the  rescue: 

'*  This  sort  of  thing  mustn't  go  any  further.  If 
my  wife  and  De  Vaux  continue  singing  such  senti- 
mental songs,  they'll  have  us  all  homesick.  We  can- 
not afford  to  ship  all  the  English  residents  of  North 
Formosa  by  the  Hailoong  to-morrow.  Just  to  change 
the  current  of  your  thoughts,  I'll  make  a  break  and 
give  you  something  different." 

He  took  his  place  at  the  piano,  and  to  his  own 
accompaniment  sang  with  great  spirit,  in  a  strong 
baritone  voice,  the  old  English  song,  "  A  Hunting 
We  Will  Go." 

The  applause  was  as  enthusiastic  as  the  spirit  in 
which  he  had  sung,  and  he  was  pressed  for  an  encore. 
The  consul  replied  with  mock  stage  bows,  but  re- 
fused to  sing  again.  He  had  done  his  part  in  chasing 
away  the  blue  devils  of  homesickness.  Now  it  was 
some  other  body's  turn  to  perform.     He  knew  Miss 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  73 

MacAllister  could  sing.  Would  she  not  continue  the 
good  work  and  give  them  something  rousing? 

Miss  MacAllister  did  not  wait  to  be  urged,  but  re- 
sponded at  once.  Her  voice  was  a  rich,  strong 
soprano.  With  a  verve  and  fire  worthy  of  her  choice, 
she  sang  Lady  Nairn's  stirring  war-song,  ''  The  Hun- 
dred Pipers."  To  the  insistent  demand  for  another 
song  she  replied  with  "  The  March  of  the  Cameron 
Men."  With  her  stately  figure  at  its  full  height,  head 
thrown  back,  and  eyes  which  seemed  to  look  away  be- 
yond her  tropic  surroundings  to  the  hills  of  old  Scot- 
land, she  sang  as  if  possessed  by  the  spirit  of  gen- 
erations of  Highland  ancestors. 

Sinclair,  from  his  place  over  by  the  mantel-piece, 
was  looking  at  her  with  undisguised  admiration. 

**  Isn't  she  magnificent  ?  Yon's  a  prize  for  some 
man!  .  .  .  Sinclair,  man,  why  don't  you  go  in  and 
win?  If  you  don't  try,  I'll  be  ashamed  of  you,  what- 
ever." 

It  was  McLeod.  He  was  speaking  in  a  low  tone, 
only  for  his  friend's  ear.  But  he  who  had  been  the 
personification  of  coolness  during  the  typhoon  was 
now  fairly  quivering  with  excitement.  The  songs  of 
his  people  had  fired  his  blood. 

"  You  needn't  be  ashamed  of  me,  Mac.  I'm  going 
to  try." 

"  Good  for  you !    I'll  back  you  to  win." 

"Don't  stake  too  much  on  me,  Mac.  I'm  new  to 
this  game.  You  might  lose  heavily.  Carteret  is 
ahead  of  me." 

"  That  dirty  snob ! "  exclaimed  McLeod  in  a  tone 
of  disgust.  "He  wants  her  in  just  the' same  way 
as  he  wants  every  pretty  woman  he  sees.  And  then 
her  money  would  help  to  repair  the  Carteret  fortunes. 


74  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

It's  an  insult  to  a  good  woman  to  mention  him  in  re- 
lation to  her.'' 

"  All  the  same  she  and  her  family  are  not  sup- 
posed to  know  the  things  that  you  know  against 
him,  whatever  they  may  be.  He  belongs  to  a  titled 
family.  That  counts  for  a  lot  with  most  people  who 
have  risen  from  the  ranks.  Her  mother  is  greatly 
taken  with  him." 

"  Yes,  but  the  daughter  is  not." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that." 

"  I'd  stake  my  life  on  it.  But  look,  Carteret  is  go- 
ing to  sing." 

It  was  evident  that  Carteret  had  expected  to  sing, 
for  he  had  just  returned  from  the  cloak-room  with 
a  roll  of  music  in  his  hand.  He  placed  it  on  the 
piano,  and  then  turning  to  Miss  MacAllister  he  con- 
ducted her  to  the  instrument  with  almost  an  excess  of 
courtesy.  Yet  his  manners  were  easy  and  graceful. 
If  at  times  he  "seemed  to  exceed  the  requirements  of 
etiquette,  his  ultra  politeness  accorded  well  with  his 
Gallic  cast  of  countenance  and  the  cut  of  beard  which 
he  affected. 

His  voice  was  a  tenor,  not  very  strong,  but  pure 
in  tone  and  evidently  well-trained.  The  first  selec- 
tion was  "  Drink  to  Me  Only  with  Thine  Eyes."  It 
was  sung  with  feeling.  The  strength  of  his  voice  ac- 
corded well  with  the  size  of  the  drawing-room,  and 
passion  was  thrown  into  the  tender  lines.  As  an 
encore  he  sang  another  love  song,  still  more  amorous 
in  sentiment  and  manner. 

"  His  musical  talent  is  Carteret's  hope  of  promo- 
tion if  he  remains  in  the  customs,"  said  Boville,  who 
was  one  of  a  little  group  of  guests  near  to  where  Sin- 
clair stood.     "He  thinks  that,  if  he  could  get  the 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  75 

opportunity  to  sing  before  the  I.G.,  he  would  be  pro- 
moted to  Pekin  at  once." 

**  Or  better  still,  if  he  should  succeed  in  marrying 
a  handsome  wife  who  is  musical,"  said  a  merchant. 
"  I  am  told  that  the  I.G.  is  even  more  considerate 
of  a  subordinate  with  an  accomplished  wife  than  one 
who  possesses  the  accomplishments  himself." 

**  He  has  the  voice  already,  and  now  he  seems  to  be 
making  a  bold  stroke  for  the  gifted  wife,"  inter- 
jected another. 

"  I  shouldn't  wish  Miss  MacAllister  any  ill,"  replied 
Boville.  ''  But  I  do  hope  something  will  happen  to 
take  him  off  my  hands.  If  the  I.G.  wants  him,  he 
will  be  most  welcome  to  the  fellow,  so  long  as  I  am 
well  quit  of  him." 

Sinclair  took  no  part  in  the  conversation.  But  he 
heard  every  word.  The  careless  references  to  Miss 
MacAllister  hurt  him  in  a  way  which  surprised  him- 
self. The  callousness  of  the  suggestion  that  Car- 
teret should  get  promotion  by  marrying  her  cut  him 
to  the  quick.  How  could  any  one  entertain  such  an 
idea? 

Then  he  wondered  at  himself.  What  was  Miss 
MacAllister  to  him?  A  passing  stranger,  who  had 
taken  it  into  her  whimsical  head  to  amuse  herself 
at  his  expense.  Already  she  had  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing him  feel  most  uncomfortable;  indeed,  for  a  time 
something  of  a  laughing-stock.  What  need  he  care? 
She  was  nothing  to  him,  and  he  was  nothing  to  her 
but  the  subject  of  an  evening's  laughter.  What  a 
fool  he  had  been  to  accept  McLeod's  challenge!  He 
would  have  to  straighten  that  out  in  the  morning. 
Then  they  both  would  have  shaken  off  the  glamour 
of  that  face  and  figure,  and  those  martial  Highland 


76  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

songs  which  had  so  stirred  their  blood.  They  would 
be  in  their  cool  senses  then.  They  had  not  been  when 
the  one  had  made  and  the  other  had  accepted  the 
challenge. 

Meanwhile  Miss  MacAllister  and  Carteret  were 
still  at  the  piano.  She  was  slowly  turning  over  some 
music.  He  was  bending  low  as  if  to  see  it,  and  per- 
haps to  choose  another  song.  All  the  while  he  was 
speaking  to  her  in  a  soft  voice,  and  she  was  making 
monosyllabic  replies.  She  realized  that  his  head  was 
sinking  lower  and  his  face  closer  to  hers.  She  felt 
his  hot  breath  on  her  face  and  neck  and  shoulder. 
It  was  hot  and  heavy  with  wine. 

She  turned  her  head  slightly  but  quickly  towards 
him.  She  saw  his  eyes  fixed  greedily  on  the  rich  beau- 
ties of  form  only  half  concealed  by  her  low  evening 
dress.  Her  face  flamed  crimson,  and  she  rose  hastily 
from  the  piano,  disregarding  his  appeal  that  she 
should  play  just  one  more  selection. 

As  she  passed  from  the  instrument  to  a  chair  she 
heard  the  consul  say: 

"  Sinclair,  you're  the  most  confoundedly  comfort- 
able-looking duffer  I  ever  saw  in  a  dress  suit." 

**  That's  because  the  tailor  who  made  my  suit  put 
side  pockets  in  the  trousers,"  was  the  reply.  "  You 
would  be  just  as  comfortable  if  you  had  pockets  to 
put  your  hands  in.  I  have  noticed  you  trying  to  get 
them  into  the  seams  half  a  dozen  times  this  evening." 

"  You're  right  there.  But  it's  not  my  fault.  I  laid 
it  on  that  tailor  in  Hong-Kong  as  a  parting  injunc- 
tion to  put  pockets  in  my  trousers.  And  he  prom- 
ised. When  the  suit  arrived  they  had  none,  and  I 
was  five  hundred  miles  too  far  away  to  get  my  hands 
on  him  and  wring  the  beast's  neck." 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  77 

*'  Fortunate  for  the  beast !  " 

"  Yes.  But  he'll  get  his  punishment  yet,  that  tailor 
will.  He  has  a  lot  to  answer  for.  I  have  sworn  out- 
wardly often,  and  inwardly  more  times  than  could 
be  numbered,  whenever  I  have  had  these  clothes  on. 
I  envy  you.  You  do  look  comfortable  in  that  suit. 
It  fits  you  as  if  you  had  been  born  in  it,  and  with 
your  hands  in  the  trousers'  pockets." 

Miss  MacAUister,  looking  at  Sinclair  from  the  seat 
she  had  taken  near  the  French  window,  agreed  with 
the  consul's  judgment.  The  big  Canadian  was  in 
conventional  evening  dress,  except  for  one  slight  con- 
cession made  to  the  heat  of  the  climate.  Instead  of 
the  low-cut  vest  he  wore  a  broad  kamarband  of  black 
silk  about  his  waist.  The  only  trace  of  jewellery 
was  the  gold  locket  on  the  end  of  a  black  leather  watch 
guard,  which  hung  over  the  kamarband.  There  was 
a  total  absence  of  dressiness.  But  as  the  girl  who  had 
been  for  years  familiar  with  London  drawing-rooms 
looked  at  the  strong,  clean-cut  features,  the  massive 
head  with  its  fair  hair  contrasting  with  the  black 
clothing,  the  lazy  grace  of  the  powerful  frame  lean- 
ing against  the  mantel-piece,  she  thought  to  herself 
that  she  had  never  seen  a  man  who  had  on  him  more 
of  the  marks  of  being  to  the  manner  born.  Yet  he 
was  the  self-confessed  son  of  a  Canadian  farmer,  and 
reared  on  a  Canadian  farm.  She  found  it  hard  to 
remain  offended  with  this  big,  good-looking,  good- 
tempered  man. 

Involuntarily  she  compared  him  again  with  Car- 
teret, the  son  of  a  noble  English  family.  The  latter 
was  now  talking  to  Mrs.  Beauchamp.  She  could  see 
that  his  ordinarily  somewhat  pallid  face  was  flushed 
and  there  was  an  expression  in  his  eyes  which  was 


78  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

not  pleasant  to  see.  She  thought  again  of  that  greedy 
look  and  of  the  hot  breath,  heavy  with  wine.  She 
turned  her  eyes  once  more  towards  Sinclair.  He  was 
talking  to  the  consul  and  smiling.  The  distinction 
between  the  two  young  men  took  shape  in  her  mind. 
Sinclair  was  clean  and  his  smile  was  frank  and  pure 
as  that  of  a  child. 

She  heard  the  consul  saying  to  him : 

"  McLeod  tells  me  that  you  sing." 

"  McLeod  tells  a  lot  of  things  he  knows  very  little 
about.  I  shall  have  to  lay  an  injunction  upon  him 
to  hold  his  peace." 

"That's  all  right  for  some  other  time.  But  for 
the  present  you  do  not  deny  the  charge  that  you  do 
sing." 

'*  I'll  plead  guilty  to  disturbing  my  neighbours 
sometimes  by  singing  college  songs  and  such  things. 
But  I  have  none  of  them  here  and  no  music  for  the 
accompanist." 

''  Just  what  we  want ;  something  lively.  If  there's 
a  chorus,  we'll  all  join  in.  Give  me  an  idea  how  it 
goes  and  I  can  chord  for  you." 

Beauchamp  ran  his  fingers  over  the  keys  while  Sin- 
clair hummed  or  lilted  the  tune.  Soon  the  proper 
chord  was  struck.  Sinclair  repeated  the  words  of  the 
chorus  till  all  got  them.  Then  he  sang  a  rollicking 
college  song.  When  he  reached  the  chorus  all  joined 
in,  and  for  the  first  time  the  walls  of  the  old  Dutch 
fort  and  the  listening  palms  and  oleanders  and  mag- 
nolias heard  the  jolly  abandon  of  **  The  Old  On- 
tario Strand." 

When  the  chorus  was  reached  the  second  time,  Sin- 
clair relinquished  the  leadership  of  the  air  to  Miss 
MacAllister.     She  took  it  as  if  by  prearrangement, 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  79 

while  he  dropped  into  his  rightful  place  and  supplied 
the  undertone  of  a  bass  powerful  enough  to  balance 
the  voices  of  all  the  rest  of  the  company. 

When  it  was  finished  there  was  an  outbreak  of 
applause  and  even  cheers,  which  showed  that  all  re- 
serve had  disappeared  and  the  company  were  pre- 
pared to  give  themselves  up  with  childish  delight  to 
singing.  Another  college  song  was  sung  with  the 
same  spirit  as  the  first,  and  Sinclair  was  pressed  to 
lead  still  another. 

''  I  will,"  he  said  at  last,  "  if  you  will  allow  me  to 
choose  one  as  characteristic  of  our  French  Canadian 
people  as  those  we  were  favoured  with  by  Miss  Mac- 
AUister  are  of  the  Highland  Scotch." 

In  response  to  the  general  consent  he  sang  some 
verses  of — 

"  En  roulant  ma  boule  roulant, 
En  roulant  ma  boule," 

and  a  number  of  the  company  joined  in  the  simple 
refrain.  The  song  which  had  so  often  echoed  on  lake 
and  stream,  by  the  evening  campfire,  where  the  paddle 
dipped,  or  in  the  frosty  stillness  of  the  snow-laden 
forests  of  the  north  rang  out  through  the  scented 
darkness  of  the  warm  tropic  night. 

A  number  of  other  songs  were  rendered  by  dif- 
ferent members  of  the  party.  Then  Sinclair  was 
called  for  again. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  my  repertoire  has  come  very 
near  the  point  of  being  exhausted,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
only  those  songs  the  words  of  which  I  can  remember, 
and  the  selection  is  not  very  choice." 

This  time  it  was  a  plaintive  negro  melody  of  the 
Sunny  South.  Again  Miss  MacAllister  found  her- 
self singing  heartily   with  the   rest   in  the  refrain, 


80  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

and  after  the  first  verse  leading  the  chorus  while  Sin- 
clair sang  bass.  When  the  song  was  done  she  sud- 
denly said  to  herself  : 

**  What  a  silly  I  am  making  of  myself !  I  came  in 
here  determined  to  get  even  with  that  doctor.  And 
here  I  am  singing  with  him  and  for  him  like  a  sissy 
in  a  Sunday-school  concert.  He  can  do  his  own  sing- 
ing from  now  on.     I'll  pay  him  back  yet." 

The  rest  were  urging  Sinclair  to  sing  again,  when 
Miss  MacAllister  said : 

"  Dr.  Sinclair  has  shown  wonderful  versatility  in 
his  choice  of  songs  this  evening.  English,  French, 
negro,  he  sings  them  all  with  equal  facility.  I  won- 
der if  he  would  not  favour  us  with  a  Canadian  In- 
dian song.  I  have  never  heard  any  of  their  music.  I 
should  so  love  to  have  the  opportunity.  Will  you 
not  sing  us  one,  Dr.  Sinclair?" 

Her  face  wore  an  expression  of  childlike  innocence 
and  interest.  But  McLeod  thought  he  saw  a  mis- 
chievous gleam  in  her  eyes.  Mr.  MacAllister  looked 
at  his  daughter  with  a  puzzled  face  and  shook  his 
head  a  little.  The  consul  eyed  her  doubtfully,  as 
though  trying  to  fathom  the  purpose  behind  this  re- 
quest. He  saw  nothing  but  the  appearance  of  almost 
infantile  guilelessness.  Then  he  heard  Sinclair 
saying : 

"  Certainly,  Miss  MacAllister.  I  am  happy  to  do 
anything  in  my  power  to  serve  you.  Only  it  is  a 
little  hard  on  Mr.  Beauchamp  to  ask  him  even  to 
chord  to  a  type  of  music  he  may  never  have  heard 
before." 

"  Thank  you  so  much,  Dr.  Sinclair.  I  am  all  anxi- 
ety to  hear  you." 

Then  she  added: 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  81 

"  I  am  sure  Mr.  Beauchamp  will  be  able  to  accom- 
pany you.  He  is  a  man  of  infinite  resource  in  music.'* 
For  she  was  afraid  that  Sinclair's  concern  about  plac- 
ing the  consul  in  a  difficult  position  was  only  an  at- 
tempt to  provide  a  loop-hole  for  his  own  escape. 

A  buzz  of  conversation  broke  out  in  the  room  while 
Sinclair  bent  over  the  instrument,  softly  humming  a 
slow,  stately  measure,  and  the  consul's  fingers  felt 
for  the  harmonious  chords.  Soon  the  voice  and  the 
chords  were  moving  together  in  harmony. 

"  That  miay  be  an  Indian  tune,"  said  Beauchamp, 
**but  it  sounds  remarkably  like  certain  bars  from  an 
old  sixteenth-century  mass  I  had  to  practise  when  a 
boy  until  my  fingers  were  nearly  worn  out." 

**  Perhaps  the  Indians  learned  it  from  the  early 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries,"  was  the  quick  reply. 
"  In  any  case,  I  fancy  it  is  the  sound  of  the  language 
Miss  MacAllister  wishes  to  hear  rather  than  the 
music." 

"If  you  like,  I  shall  play  the  tune  for  you.  I  re- 
member it  perfectly." 

"  Thank  you,  I  prefer  the  chords." 

Sinclair  straightened  himself,  and  the  buzz  of  con- 
versation instantly  ceased.  Then  his  voice  rolled 
forth  to  the  slow,  solemn  air,  words  as  melodious  as 
the  notes  of  the  music.  At  their  first  sound  the  con- 
sul's head  ducked  below  the  level  of  the  piano,  which 
hid  him  from  most  in  the  room.  Sinclair  gave  him 
a  vicious  dig  in  the  ribs,  but  sang  on  without  the 
quiver  of  an  eyelid.  The  full  vowel  sounds  of  the 
unknown  language  brought  out  to  perfection  the  tones 
of  his  rich  bass  voice. 

His  eyes  glanced  around  the  room.  All  were  lis- 
tening intently,  and  all,  save  Commander  Gardenier, 


82  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

had  their  eyes  on  him.  He  thought  that  he  could  de- 
tect a  grim  smile  on  the  naval  officer's  averted  face. 
Miss  MacAllister  had  a  keen  look — was  it  a  sus- 
picious look  ? — in  her  eyes. 

Under  cover  of  the  applause  which  followed  the 
consul  turned  on  him : 

"  You  have  the  nerve  to  pass  a  chorus  from  a  Greek 
tragedy  on  a  company  like  this  for  a  Red  Indian 
war-song," 

"  I  plead  guilty,"  replied  Sinclair.  "  But  I  had  to 
do  something  or  be  again  held  up  to  ridicule  as  I  was 
at  dinner.  I  thought  that  you  were  the  only  one 
likely  to  recognize  it  and  I  knew  that  you  would  not 
betray  me." 

"  I  acknowledge  that  you  had  to  do  something.  For 
some  reason  Miss  MacAllister  seems  bound  to  make 
game  of  you.  She  deserves  what  you  have  given 
her,  and  I'll  not  give  you  away.  But  it  was  nervy 
just  the  same."  And  the  consul  laughed  indulgently 
as  he  turned  away. 

Miss  MacAllister  did  not  join  in  the  general  ap- 
plause.    But  when  it  was  done  she  said  gravely: 

''  Thank  you.  Dr.  Sinclair,  for  gratifying  my  whim 
to  hear  a  song  in  the  Indian  language.  I  had  no 
idea  that  it  would  be  so  beautiful.  Thank  you  very 
much." 

Sinclair's  face  flushed  as  he  replied : 

"  I  am  only  too  glad  to  have  been  able  to  do  any- 
thing which  has  pleased  you."  At  the  same  moment 
he  felt  a  pang  of  remorse  for  the  deception. 

He  had  not  long  to  think  of  it  when  he  heard  Mrs. 
MacAllister  saying  to  Commander  Gardenier: 

''  What  a  barbarous  jargon  to  be  called  a  lan- 
guage!" 


SPARRING  FOR  ADVANTAGE  83 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  officer  drily,  ''  but  I  have  heard 
a  good  many  others  more  barbarous." 

Then  Thomson,  the  missionary,  remarked  in  his 
slow  way: 

"  It — some — way — seems — to — me — that — I — have 
— heard — some — thing — like — that — before." 

Sinclair  had  to  act  quickly: 

"  You  were  a  missionary  once  among  the  Indians 
of  Bruce  Peninsula,  were  you  not?" 

"  Yes— I— was." 

"  You  probably  heard  it  there." 

"  Well— perhaps— I— did." 

Some  of  the  guests  rose  to  depart,  and  their  host- 
ess rose  with  them.  Before  they  had  time  to  begin 
to  say  farewell,  Carteret  said  loudly  enough  to  be 
heard  by  all  in  the  room: 

"  Mrs.  Beauchamp,  before  we  go,  may  we  not  hear 
Mr.  De  Vaux  sing  again  ?  I  know  that  we  should  all 
be  delighted  to  hear  him." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  we  are  imposing  on  Mr.  De 
Vaux,"  replied  the  hostess,  who  realized  the  condi- 
tion De  Vaux  ordinarily  reached  by  that  hour  after 
a  dinner.  "  I  think  that  he  is  tired.  He  has  done 
his  part  so  well  this  evening  that  it  seems  unfair  to 
ask  him  for  any  more." 

"  I  am  sure,  Mrs.  Beauchamp,  that  Mr.  De  Vaux 
will  not  feel  it  a  hardship  to  sing  again.  He  is  our 
foremost  vocalist  in  Formosa.  We  want  him  to  up- 
hold the  honour  of  the  local  talent.  Mr.  De  Vaux,  will 
you  not  sing  for  us  *  Rocked  in  the  Cradle  of  the 
Deep'?" 

"Lord!  .  .  .     Mr.  Carteret — ladies  and  gentlemen 

— how  good  of  you  to  ask  me!  .  .  .     By !  .  .  . 

Bless  my  soul,  I  mean!  ...    It  is  good  of  you.  .  .  , 


84.  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

I'm  afraid.  .  .  .     I'm  not  in  very  good  voice.     But 

since  you  insist — I'll  try.  .  .  .    By !  .  .  .    I  mean 

'pon  my  honour,  I  shall !  " 

"  Shall  I  play  your  accompaniment,  De  Vaux  ?  '* 
said  the  consul,  in  response  to  an  appealing  look  from 
his  wife. 

"  How  good  of  you,  Beauchamp !  .  .  .    By ! .  .  . 

Ton  my  soul,  I  mean — it  is !  " 

Purple-faced,  perspiring,  steadying  himself  by  the 
piano,  The  Honourable  Lionel  Percival  Dudley  De 
Vaux  sang,  in  a  series  of  high-toned  asthmatic  gasps, 
"  Rocked  in  the  Cradle  of  the  Deep." 

Then  the  guests  said  their  farewells  and,  preceded 
by  natives  carrying  lanterns,  they  began  to  move  off 
into  the  warm  aromatic  darkness  Of  the  southern 
night. 


VIII 
SINCLAIR'S  OPPORTUNITY 

SINCLAIR  and  McLeod  were  awaiting  their  op- 
portunity to  say  good-night  when  one  of  the 
consul's  Chinese   servants  hastily  entered  and 
handed  his  master  a  letter: 

"  One  boy  b'long  Kai  Bok-su  come  Keelung  side, 
one  piecee  chit  new  sick-boy-man  can  catchee." 

"All  right,  boy/'  replied  the  consul.     "Dr.   Sin- 
clair, here's  a  letter  for  you  from  Dr.  MacKay." 
The  doctor  cut  the  letter  open  and  read: 

"Chinese  Camp,  Loan-Loan,  near  Keelung, 
"Aug.  5th,  1884. 
"  Dear  Dr.  Sinclair  : 

"As  you  are  aware,  a  battle  is  raging.  A  number  of  the 
Chinese  have  been  killed.  Many  more  are  wounded.  The  end 
is  not  yet.  They  have  no  doctors  but  native  fakirs.  They  have 
no  medicines,  no  instruments,  no  knowledge  of  surgery.  There 
is  dreadful  suffering.  Will  you  help?  Never  a  better  oppor- 
tunity to  serve  humanity  and  win  the  Chinese. 

"  The  consul  will  give  you  passports.  The  bearer  of  this 
will  guide  you.  A  Hoa  will  come  with  you  as  far  as  Taipeh 
and  secure  a  permit  from  the  governor.  Mrs.  MacKay  and 
Dr.  Bergmann  will  give  you  a  free  hand  with  the  Mission's 
stock  of  medicines,  and  will  help  you  to  pack  them.  Will  you 
come? 

"Yours, 

"G.  L.  MacKay." 

Without  a  word  Sinclair  handed  the  open  letter  to 
the  consul,  who  had  now  bidden  farewell  to  the  rest 
of  the  guests.    He  read  it  quickly  and  looked  up: 

"  You  are  going  ?  " 

85 


86  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Yes." 

**Whcn?" 

"  First  launch  in  the  morning." 

"  Good !    I'll  have  your  papers  ready." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Beauchamp.    Good-night." 

"  I'll  send  the  constable  over  to  MacKay's  with  the 

papers.     Take  care  of  yourself.     Good-night,  doctor. 

Good-night,  McLeod." 

The  first  faint  rose  of  dawn  was  showing  in  the 
sky  behind  the  great  bulk  of  the  Taitoon  Mountains 
when  Sinclair  stepped  out  on  the  broad  verandah  of 
the  missionary's  bungalow,  ready  for  his  journey. 
The  Chinese  student  who  was  to  guide  him  was  al- 
ready there.  A  coolie  bearing  two  round  baskets  con- 
taining the  medicines,  instruments,  and  other  neces- 
saries, balanced  on  the  end  of  his  long  bamboo  carry- 
ing pole,  came  round  the  corner  of  the  house. 

The  iron  gate  at  the  foot  of  the  garden  clicked 
sharply.  A  vigorous  step  sounded  on  the  gravelled 
walk.  An  erect,  soldierly  figure  stepped  out  of  the 
darkness  into  the  light  streaming  from  the  doorway, 
rapped  his  heels  together,  saluted,  and  handed  Dr. 
Sinclair  a  packet  of  letters. 

''  Good-morning,  Sergeant  Gorman.  YouVe  sharp 
on  time." 

"No  credit  to  me,  sir!  It's  the  consul,  sir!  The 
divil  himself  wud  have  to  get  up  in  the  morning 
before  he  went  to  bed  at  night  to  catch  the  consul 
late." 

There  was  no  mistaking  Sergeant  Gorman's  na- 
tive land.     Sinclair  laughed  as  he  said: 

"  I  suppose  these  are  my  passports." 

"  Right  you  are,  sir !     But  wud  you  moind  lookin* 


SINCLAIR'S  OPPORTUNITY  87 

at  the  last  one  furst,  for,  widout  anny  conceit  in  me- 
self,  it's  the  most  important  of  thim  all." 
Sinclair  opened  it  and  read: 

"H.  B.  M.  Consulate,  Tamsui,  Aug.  6th,  1884. 
"Dear  Dr.  Sinclair: 

"I  am  presuming  on  your  good  nature  to  make  a  request  of 
you.  Will  you  accept  of  Sergeant  Gorman's  assistance  in  your 
volunteer  Red  Cross  Service?  Ever  since  the  cannon  fire  began 
yesterday  morning,  he  has  been  aching  to  get  into  the  field  of 
action.  Your  going  is  an  opportunity.  He  will  not  be  an 
encumbrance.  He  has  been  at  various  times  surgeon's  assistant 
and  hospital  sergeant.  He  speaks  pidgin,  and  knows  quite  a 
bit  of  vernacular.  Commander  Gardenier  will  spare  me  a  man 
to  take  his  place.  Feeling  sure  that  you  will  grant  my  request 
as  soon  as  you  read  it,  I  have  enclosed  his  passports  with  yours. 

"  Wishing  you  a  safe  and  speedy  return,  I  am, 
"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  R.  L.  Beauchamp." 

Sinclair  read  between  the  lines.  It  was  not  merely 
the  desire  to  gratify  Sergeant  Gorman's  passion  to 
be  in  any  fighting  which  might  be  handy  which  had 
actuated  the  consul.  It  was  solicitude  for  himself. 
He  was  a  stranger  in  the  island.  He  did  not  know 
the  language.  He  had  never  been  nearer  war  than 
the  annual  camp  of  a  brigade  of  Canadian  militia. 
This  resourceful  Irishman,  with  more  than  twenty 
years  of  varied  service,  mostly  in  the  Orient  and 
among  Oriental  peoples,  would  simply  be  invaluable 
to  him.  The  consul  had  been  up  all  night  arranging 
for  his  convenience  and  safety.  More  to  himself  than 
to  any  one  else  he  exclaimed: 

"Beauchamp's  a  trump!" 

"  An'  the  right  bower  at  that ! "  interjected  Gor- 
man. 

Sinclair  dashed  into  MacKay's  study,  scribbled  off 
a  hasty  note  of  thanks,  and  was  out  again  before  the 
sergeant  had  finished  congratulating  himself  on  his 
good  fortune. 


88  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  We  must  be  off.  There  goes  the  launch's  whis- 
tle," said  Sinclair,  as  he  swung  off  with  his  long,  pow- 
erful strides,  which  put  Gorman  to  his  best  gait  and 
made  the  natives  drop  into  their  peculiar  little  jog- 
ging trot. 

Although  the  day  had  scarcely  broken  when  they 
left  the  house,  and  it  was  but  a  few  hundred  yards 
down  the  steep  hill  to  the  beach,  the  impatient  sun 
of  the  South  had  already  sprung  into  the  heavens 
when  they  reached  the  little  jetty  at  which  the  launch 
lay.  A  Hoa,  the  chief  Chinese  assistant  of  Dr.  Mac- 
Kay,  and  McLeod  were  already  there. 

'*  Hallo,  Mac!  "  exclaimed  the  doctor.  "  I  thought 
you  would  be  sleeping  yet.  It's  more  than  decent  of 
you  to  turn  out  so  early  to  see  me  off." 

"  I  am  going  with  you  as  far  as  Twatutia,"  replied 
McLeod.  "  The  Chinese  are  so  excited  over  this  war 
that  they  have  not  forwarded  part  of  our  cargo.  I 
am  going  up  to  see  what  persuasives  I  can  apply  to 
the  compradore.  We  have  to  sail  by  this  afternoon's 
tide  and  want  to  take  a  full  cargo.  We  may  not  get 
another  chance  for  a  while." 

*'  I  certainly  am  in  luck  this  morning,"  said  Sin- , 
clair.    "  You  to  keep  me  company  as  far  as  Twatutia; 
A  Hoa  to  get  my  passports  vised,  and  Sergeant  Gor- 
man to  act  as  my  bodyguard  and  be  generally  respon- 
sible for  my  safety  and  good  conduct." 

By  this  time  the  two  friends  and  the  Chinese 
preacher  had  found  for  themselves  as  comfortable 
positions  as  possible  under  the  awning  which  cov- 
ered the  decks  of  the  little  launch  and  sheltered  them 
from  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  launch  was  threading  its  way  through  a  fleet 
of  junks  which  were  hasting  to  get  out  to  sea  with 


SINCLAIR'S  OPPORTUNITY  89 

the  ebbing  tide.  Some  had  already  hoisted  their  huge, 
brown,  bat-wing  sails  and  turned  their  watchful  eyes 
towards  the  open  sea.  Some  were  just  lifting  their 
anchors,  while  priests  from  the  neighbouring  temple 
rowed  around  them  in  boats  with  beating  drums  and 
droning  pipes,  to  frighten  away  the  demons,  propitiate 
the  goddess  of  the  sea,  secure  for  the  sailors  a  pros- 
perous voyage,  undisturbed  by  the  French,  and  inci- 
dentally to  get  for  themselves  and  their  temple  a  sub- 
stantial contribution.  Some  had  not  yet  finished  taking 
cargo,  and  their  crews  were  working  with  feverish 
haste  to  get  loaded  in  time  not  to  miss  the  last  of  the 
ebb.  From  them  all  came  the  ceaseless  shrill,  nasal 
shouting  of  the  Chinese  seamen  as  they  pulled  at  the 
ropes,  or  heaved  up  the  anchor  or  hauled  away  at  the 
tackle  hoisting  their  cargo  on  board. 

It  was  all  intensely  interesting  to  Sinclair,  who 
never  wearied  of  studying  human  life,  especially  when 
it  presented  types  and  phases  which  were  new  and 
strange  to  him.  But  he  was  not  so  much  interested 
in  the  Chinese  as  to  fail  to  notice  the  large  house, 
with  its  cool-looking  upper  and  lower  verandahs,  look- 
ing out  on  the  river,  in  which  the  MacAllisters  were 
quartered.  He  wondered  if  the  maiden  who  had 
teased  him  so  were  awake  and  plotting  some  new  mis- 
chief to  make  him  or  some  one  else  uncomfortable. 
Or  was  she  sleeping  as  peacefully  as  if  she  had  never 
done  a  naughty  deed  in  all  her  bright  young  life?  It 
was  with  a  start,  as  if  a  guilty  secret  had  been  dis- 
covered, that  he  heard  McLeod's  voice  saying: 

"  I  suppose  your  Highland  girl  is  having  her  beauty 
sleep.  I  never  saw  any  one  who  to  my  mind  needed 
it  less." 

Sinclair  was  annoyed  that  McLeod  so  often  seemed 


90  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

to  read  his  thoughts.  It  was  a  little  tartly  that  he 
replied : 

"  Are  you  still  harping  at  that?  If  I  were  a  suitor 
for  that  young  lady's  hand,  I  should  have  to  look  upon 
you  as  a  rival,  you  seem  so  smitten  with  her.*' 

'*  Not  the  slightest  danger,  Doc.  The  fact  that  a 
fellow  admires  a  girl's  looks  or  style  doesn't  neces- 
sarily mean  that  he  has  fallen  in  love  with  her.  Oh, 
no !  I  have  my  own  dreams  of  a  trip  I  hope  to  make 
next  year  to  Prince  Edward  Island,  and  if  I  come 
back  to  the  China  Coast  I'll  not  come  back  alone. 
That's  good  enough  for  me.  I  admire  Miss  MacAUis- 
ter.  I  think  she's  splendid.  But  falling  in  love  with 
her!  Not  the  slightest  notion!  Any  interest  I  have 
in  her  is  on  your  account." 

"  I'm  sorry,  Mac.  I  shouldn't  have  said  what  I 
did.     I  knew  that  you  were  as  true  as  steel." 

"  It's  all  right,  doctor.  I've  been  jollying  you  too 
much.  And  the  way  she  acts  sometimes  makes  it  a 
little  hard  to  bear.    But  you'll  win  out  in  the  end." 

"  I  do  not  know  about  that,"  said  Sinclair,  some- 
what gloomily.  "  The  way  she  treated  me  last  night 
did  not  look  much  like  it." 

"  Never  mind  that.  She  would  not  treat  you  like 
that  if  she  were  not  taking  more  interest  in  you  than 
in  any  one  else  at  present.  She  doesn't  know  just 
what  is  the  matter  with  herself.  That  is  the  way 
she  is  taking  to  work  it  off.  She'll  change  after  a 
bit." 

"  I'll  yield  to  your  superior  knowledge  of  the  ways 
of  women,"  said  the  doctor,  with  a  laugh  which  had 
but  little  mirth  in  it.  "  It  may  be  all  right.  Just 
the  same,  it  doesn't  look  good  to  me.  .  .  .  Here 
comes  Sergeant  Gorman.     I  had  better  see  my  pass- 


SINCLAIR'S  OPPORTUNITY  91 

ports,  and  get  him  to  instruct  A  Hoa  what  is  to  be 
done  when  we  get  to  Taipeh." 

Opening  the  packet,  he  found  copies  of  passports 
in  English,  French,  and  Chinese.  One  addressed  to 
the  French  Commander  read: 

"Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consulate, 
"  Tamsui,  August  6th,  1884. 
"  To  the  Officer  in  Chief  Command  of  the  French  Forces  at 
Keelung: 
"The  bearer  of  this  paper,  Doctor  Donald  Sinclair,  a  British 
subject,  has  volunteered  his  services  as  a  medical  doctor  to  the 
sick  and  wounded  of  the  Chinese  army,  at  present  engaged 
before  Keelung.  He  will  observe  strict  neutrality,  and  will  be 
equally  ready  to  perform  humane  offices  and  render  skilled 
medical  and  surgical  assistance  to  any  of  the  French  troops, 
should  circumstances  bring  that  within  his  power.  Wherefore 
I,  the  undersigned  consul  for  Great  Britain  at  Tamsui,  do  beg 
the  Officer  in  Command  of  the  French  Forces  at  Keelung,  to 
accord  to  the  said  Doctor  Donald  Sinclair  protection  and 
liberty  to  perform  his  offices  of  mercy,  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  the  Geneva  Convention.  He  will  be  accompanied  by 
one  European  assistant,  likewise  a  British  subject,  Sergeant  John 
Gorman,  and  by  one  or  more  Chinese  assistants,  all  wearing 
the  badge  of  the  Red  Cross. 

"  H.  R.  L.  Beauchamp, 
"Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consul." 

Passports  of  a  similar  tenor  were  addressed  to 
the  Chinese  authorities. 

"  Sergeant  Gorman,  you  know  Chinese.  Tell  A  Hoa 
what  we  want  him  to  do  when  we  get  to  Taipeh. 
He  is  to  get  these  vised  and,  if  possible,  to  get  a  spe- 
cial permit  from  the  governor.  It  will  carry  more 
weight  than  the  passports." 

"Very  good,  sir!     I'll  make  him  understand." 

Sergeant  Gorman's  mastery  of  the  language  was 
not  perfect.  But  the  Chinese  preacher  required  lit- 
tle instruction.  He  knew  better  than  either  Sinclair 
or  the  sergeant  what  should  be  done.  Before  becom- 
ing a  Christian  he  had  been  private  secretary  to  a 


92  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

mandarin  in  an  official  position  at  Pekin.  He  had 
travelled  much  on  the  mainland  as  well  as  in  For- 
mosa, and  was  well  acquainted  with  official  procedure 
both  in  peace  and  in  war.  Scarcely  had  Sergeant  Gor- 
man begun  his  explanations  when  his  "  Ho !  .  .  . 
Ho!  .  .  .  An-ni  ho!  .  .  .  Put-tsi  ho!'*  (Good! 
good!  That's  good!  Very  good!)  showed  that  he 
fully  understood  what  was  expected  of  him. 


IX 

A  QUIET  LIFE 

MEANWHILE  McLeod  and  Sinclair  were 
studying  the  sergeant.  He  was  a  man  of 
perhaps  forty-five  years,  but  could  pass  for 
much  younger.  Five  feet  eight  or  nine  inches  in 
height,  he  was  broad-shouldered  and  sturdily  built. 
No  matter  where  he  might  be  or  how  dressed,  there 
could  be  no  mistaking  that  he  had  been  a  soldier. 
Long  military  training  spoke  in  every  movement. 

His  thick  hair  was  a  red-brown,  with  the  emphasis 
on  the  red.  So  was  his  heavy,  fierce-looking  mous- 
tache. So  were  his  bristling  eyebrows.  So  were  his 
eyes.  His  face,  save  where  it  was  ordinarily  covered 
by  the  band  of  his  sun-helmet,  was  pretty  nearly  the 
same  shade. 

He  talked  rapidly ;  very  rapidly ;  so  rapidly  that  his 
words  often  stumbled  over  one  another  in  their  eager- 
ness to  get  out,  until  he  actually  stuttered.  When  he 
tried,  he  spoke  English  with  just  enough  Irish  accent 
to  make  it  sweet  on  his  tongue.  But  when  he  didn't 
try,  and  that  was  most  of  the  time,  the  brogue  was 
rich  and  thick.  Nearly  always  he  had  the  peculiarly 
Irish  trick  of  repeating  the  last  words  of  a  closing 
sentence. 

"  How  long  has  Gorman  been  here  ?  "  asked  Sin- 
clair in  a  low  tone. 

"  Only  a  couple  of  months,"  replied  McLeod. 
"  Came  over  with  us  from  Amoy." 

93 


94  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  How  does  it  come  that  a  sergeant  with  his  record 
of  service  should  end  up  by  being  consulate  con- 
stable in  an  out-of-the-way  corner  like  Tamsui?" 

"  Search  me !    I  can't  tell  you." 

"  Probably  the  old  story  of  a  man  who  has  served 
his  Queen  and  country  well  and  then  been  dropped, 
to  live  or  die  wherever  he  may  chance  to  fall." 

''  Yes,  and  none  of  the  blockheads  who  have  com- 
manded him  have  sense  enough  to  know  how  much 
good  service  they  could  get  out  of  a  man  like  that, 
if  they  would  only  give  him  a  chance  to  rise.  In- 
stead they  turn  him  adrift  like  a  worn-out  horse." 

**  Perhaps  he  has  a  history  behind  him.  It  seems 
to  me  that  most  men  out  here,  except  you  and  I, 
Mac,  have  histories.  Here  he  comes.  Perhaps  he 
will  talk." 

The  sergeant  crossed  the  little  deck,  stood  at  atten- 
tion, and  saluted : 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  report,  sir,  that  I  have  given 
the  Chinese,  A  Hoa,  the  instructions  you  commanded 
and  that  he  seems  to  understand  them  very  well,  sir." 

"  Very  good,  sergeant.  There  is  nothing  further 
to  be  done  until  we  reach  Twatutia.     Be  seated." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

"  By  the  way,  sergeant,  I  notice  by  the  passport 
that  your  name  is  John  Gorman." 

"  It  is,  sir." 

"  I  used  to  know  a  Sergeant  John  Gorman  on  the 
police  force  in  Kingston,  Canada.  They  say  that, 
when  the  college  boys  were  out  on  a  frolic  and  rais- 
ing cain,  he  could  do  more  to  keep  them  within  bounds 
with  a  smile  and  a  bit  of  blarney  than  all  the  rest  of 
the  force  could  do  with  their  batons." 

"  Och,    but    he'll    be    from    Sleeahtballymackcur- 


A  QUIET  LIFE  95 

raghalicky,  in  County  Cork.  All  the  people  there 
are  Gormans,  an'  most  of  thim  are  John  Gormans. 
An'  as  for  the  shmile,  all  the  Gormans  have  it.  They 
get  it  whin  they're  childer,  sayin'  the  name  of  their 
native  place.  An'  whin  they  grow  up,  no  matther 
where  they  go,  the  shmile  wan't  come  off — the  divil 
a  bit  will  it  come  off." 

*'  You're  right  there,  sergeant,"  said  McLeod. 
"  You  have  the  smile,  sure  enough.  But  it  never 
shows  to  best  advantage  until  you  say  the  name  of  the 
place  where  you  were  born.    What's  this  it  is,  again  ?  " 

"Sleeahtballymackcurraghalicky." 

"  Exactly !    That's  a  name  to  make  any  one  smile." 

"  Och,  Misther  McLeod,  but  you  shud  have  seen 
it  on  me  whin  I  furst  left  the  ould  place.  Me  face 
was  all  shmile.  But  on  the  Afghan  border  wan  day, 
an  ould  black-face  of  a  Pathan — may  the  divil  fly 
away  wid  him! — tuk  a  pot  shot  at  me  from  betune 
two  rocks.  He  got  me  through  the  two  cheeks  of  me, 
an'  siv'ral  of  me  teeth.  After  the  wounds  healed  up 
I  never  had  me  natural  shmile  ag'in, — wud  you  be- 
I'ave  me,  I  niver  was  able  to  shmile  natural  ag'in." 

"Did  you  get  back  at  him  at  all?"  inquired 
McLeod. 

"That's  jist  what  was  hurtin'  me.  For  while  I 
was  spittin'  out  me  teeth,  an'  in  no  condishun  to  take 
aim,  the  onderhanded,  tricherous  Afghan  was  dodgin' 
away  through  the  rocks.  But  me  next  in  file  in  the 
Munsters,  he  was  a  Scotchman  from  Aberdeen,  got 
a  squint  of  him  as  he  bint  double,  goin'  round  the 
corner  of  a  pricipice,  an'  be  the  blissin'  of  Hiven,  took 
a  chip  off  the  stern  works  of  him, — a  mortial  good 
shot,  for  the  target  he  hit  was  the  only  part  in 
sight." 


96  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"But  how  did  you  know  that  he  was  hit?"  asked 
McLeod.     "  Did  you  take  him  prisoner  ?  " 

"  Divil  a  bit !  A  wounded  Pathan  can  crawl  loike 
a  wounded  snake.  But  eighteen  months  afterwards  I 
was  up  in  the  hills,  wan  of  an  escort  of  the  p'ace  en- 
voys. The  very  first  day  wan  of  the  native  policemen 
pointed  out  an  ould  black-face  among  the  chiefs  an' 
tould  me  that  was  the  man  that  put  the  bullet  through 
me  two  cheeks.  An'  be  the  powers,  that  ould  haythen 
cud  no  more  sit  down  than  I  cud  shmile.  The  shot 
of  me  next  in  file  had  spoiled  the  joint  in  the  middle 
of  him.  It  was  the  furst  rale  coififort  that  had  come 
to  me  since  the  day  I  was  shot.  I  began  to  laugh  whin 
I  saw  him  shtandin'  up  shtiff  as  a  ramrod  whin  the 
Others  sat;  or  lyin'  on  his  back,  shtraight  as  a  yard- 
shtick  whin  the  rest  were  reclinin'-loike  on  the  divans. 
The  more  I  thought  of  it,  the  more  I  laughed,  an' 
the  shmile  of  the  Gormans  began  to  come  back  to  me 
little  by  little.  But  I'll  niver  have  the  shmile  ag'in 
that  I  had  in  Sleeahtballymackcurraghalicky — sure  as 
I'm  livin',  I'll  niver  shmile  ag'in  as  I  used  to  whin  I 
left  Sleeahtballymackcurraghalicky." 

"  How  did  you  come  to  leave  Sleeahtballymack- 
what-a-ghalicky  ?  "  inquired  Sinclair. 

"  Shure,  docther,  an'  it  wasn't  me  own  doin'.  To 
the  best  of  me  ricolliction  it  was  the  doin'  of  Provi- 
dence, wid  a  bit  of  help  from  the  priests,  an'  me  fa- 
ther, an'  the  government,  an'  the  recruitin'  sergeant 
thrown  in." 

**  How  did  they  all  come  to  the  help  of  Provi- 
dence?" asked  the  doctor. 

"  Faix,  but  you're  of  an  inquirin'  turn  of  moind, 
docther;  beggin'  your  pardon  for  makin'  so  bould  as 
to  tell  you  that  same." 


A  QUIET  LIFE  97 

"  It's  all  right,  sergeant.     Go  on." 

**  Well,  docther,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  it  be- 
gan this  way.  Me  father  was  an  indepindint  farmer, 
wid  a  bit  of  land  right  forninst  the  dure  of  the  church 
at  Sleeahtballymackcurraghalicky,  an'  a  hundred 
pounds  in  a  bank  in  Cork.  He  was  gittin'  on  in 
years.  Me  mother  was  dead,  an'  I  was  the  only 
choild.  What  does  me  father  do  but  ups  an'  wills 
his  land  to  the  Church  for  masses,  me  to  be  a  priest, 
an'  the  money  to  the  college  that  was  to  educate  me. 
You'll  onderstand  that  the  land  an'  the  money  were 
not  to  be  paid  over  till  me  father  was  dead  an'  done 
wid  thim,  d'ye  see?  But  I  was  to  go  to  school 
at  wanst  to  be  trained  for  a  priest,  d'ye  onder- 
stand?" 

"  Yes,  I  see  the  plan." 

"  Well,  widout  even  so  much  as  sayin'  '  by  your 
I'ave,'  they  packed  me  off  to  the  Classical  School  in 
Skibbereen,  to  learn  Latin  an'  the  other  dead-an'- 
gone  languages.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  it 
didn't  agree  wid  me,  an'  I  didn't  agree  wid  it.  It 
wasn't  the  languages.  I  cud  get  thim  all  right.  It 
was  this  business  of  bein'  a  priest.  Moind  ye,  I'm 
not  sayin'  annything  ag'in  the  Church.  I  was  born 
a  Catholic,  an'  I'll  die  a  Catholic.  But  bein'  a  priest 
wint  ag'in  me  grain.  To  repeat  ould  dead  prayers  for 
dead  people,  in  dead  languages,  which  nobody  prisint 
but  the  blissed  Lord  Himself  cud  onderstand,  an'  He 
tired  of  hearin'  thim  centuries  before  you  were  born; 
to  hear  ould  wives  confessin'  their  sins  which  they 
shudn't  tell  to  anny  man,  barrin'  another  ould  wife 
loike  thimselves;  to  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land  while 
the  Paddies  an'  DInnies  an'  Mickies  were  livin'  on 
pitaties  an'  salt,  wid  now  an'  ag'in  a  taste  of  butther- 


^8  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

milk — it  didn't  seem  to  me  givin'  value  for  the  money 
received. 

*'  An'  thin  I  was  gettin'  to  be  a  bit  of  a  gossoon,  an' 
sometoimes  I  v^as  afther  thinkin'  of  me  farm  at 
Sleeahtballymackcurraghalicky,  which  wasn't  moine 
ayther,  for  it  was  willed  to  the  Church.  They  often 
tould  me  that  whin  I  was  a  priest  I  wud  have  no  use 
for  the  farm.  They  said  that  a  half-acre  of  purgatory 
was  worth  more  to  a  priest  than  the  best  two-hundred- 
acre  farm  in  County  Cork.  But  they  all  had  their 
well-cultivated  garden  plots  in  purgatory,  an'  bedad 
but  they  wanted  me  farm  as  well — d'ye  moind.  They 
were  afther  me  farm  in  County  Cork  as  well. 

"  Not  to  be  w^earyin'  you  wid  the  details  of  me 
autybiography,  the  longer  I  was  at  it  the  less  I  loiked 
it,  an'  the  more  I  had  differences  of  opinion  wid  the 
priests  of  the  college,  'speshully  wid  the  wan  they 
called  the  Prefect  of  Discipline,  which  is  the  polite 
name  for  the  Wallopin'  Masther.  Jist  as  I  was  get- 
tin' tired  of  the  b'atin's,  an'  was  thinkin'  of  runnin* 
away  an'  joinin'  the  navy  for  the  sake  of  a  quiet  loife, 
the  English  Government  came  to  the  assistance  of 
Providence,  an'  betune  the  two  they  got  me  out  of 
bein'  a  priest — thanks  to  the  government  an'  the 
Hivenly  Lord,  I  got  out  of  bein'  a  priest." 

*'  How  in  the  world  did  the  government  come  to 
interfere  with  your  course  in  the  college?"  inquired 
Sinclair. 

**  The  government  did  not  interfere  directly,  as  you 
moight  say.  It  didn't  make  what  you  moight  call  a 
frontal  attack.  It  jist  made  a  kind  of  divarshun  in 
the  rear.    It  appointed  me  father  a  Jay  Pay." 

"  A  Jay  Pay !  "  exclaimed  McLeod.  "  What  kind 
of  a  pay  is  that?  " 


A  QUIET  LIFE  99 

*'  Why,  Misther  McLeod,  it's  a  Jay  Pay,  jist.  A 
Justice  of  the  P'ace  for  the  District  of  West  Cork." 

"  Oh,  I  understand !  " 

"  Yes,  sir !  It  appointed  me  father  a  Jay  Pay  for 
West  Cork.  An',  docther,  did  you  ever  hear  of  anny- 
thing  foolisher  in  your  loife?  To  appoint  a  man  a 
Jay  Pay  who  was  sixty-foive  years  ould,  foive  fut 
two  inches  high,  weighed  only  seven  stone,  and  had 
never  learned  how  to  use  the  two  hands  of  him  or 
the  proper  twisht  to  give  a  blackthorn?  Wud  you 
tell  me  now,  fwhat  was  the  use  of  makin'  a  Justice  of 
the  P'ace  in  West  Cork  out  of  a  little  ould  man  who 
cud  nayther  use  his  hands  nor  twirl  a  shillelagh  ?  " 

"  It  does  appear  unreasonable." 

"  Onreasonable  ?  Begorra,  it  was  wurrse  than  that. 
There  was  no  sinse  to  it.  An'  anny  man  that  knows 
West  Cork  will  tell  you  the  same.  But  the  ways  of 
the  governmint  are  loike  the  ways  of  Providence,  past 
foinding  out.  Anny  way,  it  meant  that  me  course  for 
the  priesthood  was  brought  to  a  speedy  conclushun." 

"How?" 

"  Well,  it  was  this  way.  Me  father  was  appointed 
a  Jay  Pay,  wid  headquarters  at  Bantry.  The  very 
furst  case  he  troied  was  wan  of  assault  committed  by 
Micky  Murphy  on  Paddy  O'Leary  whin  he  was  seein' 
Biddy  O'Hea  home  afther  mass.  They  were  pretty 
well  matched,  and  wan  got  as  much  damage  as  the 
other.  So  me  father  jist  bound  both  of  thim  over 
to  kape  the  p'ace.  Wud  you  belave  me,  just  to  show 
th'ir  contimpt  for  the  law  an'  for  a  little  ould  man 
loike  that  bein'  made  a  Jay  Pay,  by  common  consint 
they  fought  it  out  forninst  the  very  dure  of  his  court, 
while  the  local  consthables  held  their  coats  an'  Biddy 
O'Hea  was  referee. 


100  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

*'  Thin  was  me  chanst.  Before  that  me  father  wud 
hear  nothin'  for  me  but  bein*  a  priest.  Now  he  ap- 
pointed me  a  speshull  consthable.  He  wanted  me  to 
go  to  Dublin  an'  take  some  lessons  wid  me  hands  an' 
wid  a  shtick  from  a  profissor  of  the  science.  I  tould 
him  that  it  was  quite  unnecessary.  Anny  likely  gos- 
soon of  eighteen  or  nineteen  who  had  spint  three  years 
contindin'  wid  the  Wallopin'  Masther  of  that  school 
in  Skibbereen  had  all  the  science  he  was  likely  to  need 
as  a  speshull  consthable.  An'  be  the  powers,  me  fa- 
ther had  no  reason  to  repint  of  his  choice.  There  was 
no  more  contimpt  shown  for  the  law  whin  he  held 
court — shure  as  the  saints  are  in  hiven,  niver  a  wan 
showed  anny  more  contimpt  of  court  in  West  Court, 
but  he  was  sorry  for  the  day  he  was  born. 

"  Not  to  be  wearyin'  you  wid  particulars,  this  wint 
along  for  about  three  years.  Thin  me  father  got  too 
feeble  to  do  the  wurrk,  an'  the  governmint  appointed 
an  associate  Jay  Pay.  That  was  the  ind  of  me  serv- 
ice as  a  speshull  consthable.  The  new  Jay  Pay  stood 
six  fut  three,  an'  weighed  two  hundred  an'  fifty 
pounds.     I  was  out  of  a  job. 

''  But  there  was  no  lack  of  divarshun.  From  Mul- 
laghareirk  to  Ballingurreen,  from  Clonakilty  to  Bally- 
dehob,  from  Musheramore  to  Teampeall-na-bo'ct, 
every  Rory  of  the  Hills  that  had  iver  been  in  me  fa- 
ther's court,  or  iver  had  a  relation  there,  was  lyin* 
for  me  wid  his  shillelagh,  an'  sometimes  an  ould  rusty 
fowlin'-piece.  It  wasn't  healthy  for  me  in  West  Cork 
anny  more.  The  priests  cud  have  made  it  safe 
enough.  But  I  had  wanst  studied  to  be  a  priest,  an' 
had  continded  wid  the  Prefect  of  Discipline,  d'ye  see? 
An'  thin  there  was  the  hundred  pounds  in  the  bank 
in  Cork,  an'  the  farm  forninst  the  dure  of  the  church 


A  QUIET  LIFE  101 

in  Sleeahtballymackcurraghalicky,  d'ye  moind?  They 
wud  be  surer  if  I  was  out  of  the  way.  So,  for  the 
sake  of  a  quiet  loife,  I  tuk  the  Queen's  shillin'  an' 
went  away  to  the  wars — God  pardon  me  if  I'm  not 
speakin'  the  truth,  it  was  for  a  quiet  loife  I  left  West 
Cork,  an'  was  shipped  out  wid  the  Munsters  to  the 
wars  in  Indy." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  your  father  again?  " 

"  Niver!  He  doied  a  twelvemonth  after  I  left  for 
Indy." 

"  Have  you  ever  been  back  to  see  the  old  place 
where  you  were  born?" 

"  Wanst.  Tin  years  afther  I  enlisted,  I  got  I'ave 
an'  wint  back  from  Indy." 

"And  the  farm ?" 

"  It  was  still  there.     They  hadn't  moved  it." 

"Who  had  it?" 

"The  priests." 

"Was  the  money  still  in  the  bank  in  Cork?  " 

"Divil  a  bit!" 

"  Did  you  inquire  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

"What  did  they  tell  you?" 

"  They  tould  me  that  they  had  expinded  the  hun- 
dred pounds,  an'  the  value  of  the  farm,  an'  a  little 
more  in  masses  an'  prayers  to  get  me  father 
out  of  purgatory.  They  said  that  I  was  a  bit  in 
their  debt,  an'  that  they  would  need  a  trifle  yet, 
for  they  hadn't  got  him  quite  free.  I  asked  thim  if 
that  was  God's  truth  they  were  speakin'.  They  tould 
me  that  it  was.  '  Thin,'  says  I,  *  if  you  know  so  much 
of  what's  goin'  on  in  purgatory,  wud  you  jist  give 
me  father  a  message  from  me?  Jist  tell  him  to  ask 
the  Blissed  Lord  to  open  the  dure  and  let  him  out, 


102  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

an'  ni  stake  me  sowl's  salvation  on  it  that  the  Lord 
will  do  it  at  wanst,  and  niver  ask  him  for  a  farm  or 
a  hundred  pounds  in  the  bank.  For  me  father  was 
a  man  that  niver  willingly  hurted  a  chicken/  An* 
wid  that  I  left  them  wid  me  farm  an'  the  hundred 
pounds.  But  it's  many  a  cintury  me  father  will  be 
restin'  on  the  beds  of  flowers  in  glory  before  the  fires 
of  purgatory  will  have  burned  that  farm  an'  the  hun- 
dred pounds  out  of  the  sowls  of  the  black  dragoons 
who  defrauded  me  of  me  inheritance.  An'  that's 
God's  truth  I'm  tellin'  you.  An'  moind  ye,  it's 
a  Catholic  I  was  born  and  a  Catholic  I  intind  to 
die." 

For  a  time  the  three  white  men  sat  in  silence,  each 
busy  with  his  own  thoughts.  The  broad  river  streamed 
past  them,  gleaming  in  the  sun,  bearing  its  fleet  of 
fishing  boats  and  market  boats  and  here  and  there 
a  cargo  boat,  with  big  mat  sails,  dropping  down  with 
the  current  and  tide,  laden  with  tea  or  sugar  or  cam- 
phor or  coal.  The  low  green  shores  were  quick  with 
the  life  of  a  dense  population.  Beyond  these  the  blue 
and  purple  hills  rose  and  stretched  away  in  wavy  lines 
of  colour  till  the  far-ofif  lofty  peaks  blended  with  the 
sky. 

Dr.  Sinclair  turned  from  the  natural  scenery  to  look 
again  at  the  Irish  soldier  who  was  to  be  his  companion 
in  the  new  and  unaccustomed  scenes  which  lay  before 
him.  Sergeant  Gorman  was  looking  out  over  river 
and  plain  and  mountain.  But  his  eyes  were  those 
of  one  who  did  not  see.  There  was  a  far-away  look 
in  them.  Dreams  slept  in  their  red-brown  depths.  He 
interested  Sinclair  strangely.  He  was  a  rare  speci- 
men in  the  doctor's  field  of  research,  human  kind.  He 
wanted  to  know  more  of  him. 


A  QUIET  LIFE  103 

"You  have  put  in  most  of  your  service  in  the  Far 
East,  Sergeant  Gorman  ?  "  he  said. 

"I  have,  sir.  All  except  two  years  spint  at  the 
Cape." 

"Mostly  in  India?" 

"  Mostly,  wid  spells  at  Aden  and  in  Burmah.  Thin 
I  was  sint  to  Hong-Kong,  where  I  picked  up  the 
pidgin.  I  put  in  my  last  years  of  service  in  the 
Straits,  where  I  learned  a  bit  of  the  lingo  spoken  here. 
At  the  Straits  all  the  wurrk  is  done  by  Chinese  from 
Amoy,  the  same  people  as  these  in  Formosa.  Thin, 
as  there  was  nothing  for  a  time-expired  soldier  to  do, 
an'  the  climate  was  too  hot  for  the  wife  an'  childer, 
I  came  north  to  Amoy  an'  tuk  service  ag'in  wid  some 
more  has-beens,  to  guard  the  consulate  an'  do  a  bit 
of  police  wurrk  in  the  Settlement  durin'  the  trouble 
wid  the  French.  But,  begorra,  it  was  out  of  the  fryin'- 
pan  into  the  fire." 

"How  was  that?" 

"  Me  mother-in-law  came  to  live  wid  us." 

"  That  was  hard  lines,"  said  McLeod  sympa- 
thetically. 

"  Faith,  an'  if  you'd  known  her  you'd  say  that  from 
the  heart." 

"  How  long  did  you  stand  it  ?  '* 

"  Six  weeks." 

"And  then ?" 

"  Thin  I  heard  that  the  French  were  beloike  to  kick 
up  a  shindy  in  Formosa.  So  for  the  sake  of  a  quiet 
loife  I  exchanged  to  Tamsui.  An'  here  I  am  off  to 
the  wars  ag'in  an'  enjoyin'  p'ace  an'  happiness — ^by  the 
blissin^  of  Hiven,  enjoyin'  p'ace  an'  happiness.'* 


X 

GLORIOUS  WAR 

THE  launch  had  reached  the  landing-place  at 
Twatutia.  The  little  party  stepped  ashore. 
A  parting  grasp  of  the  hand  from  McLeod, 
and  Dr.  Sinclair,  Sergeant  Gorman,  A  Hoa  and  the 
student  guide  stepped  into  chairs,  to  be  borne  to  the 
governor's  yamen  in  the  adjoining  walled  city  of 
Taipeh. 

The  governor  was  not  at  home.  He  had  already 
left  for  Keelung  to  take  personal  charge  of  the  de- 
fences. But  the  deputy  he  had  left  in  Taipeh  seemed 
to  have  imbibed  some  of  the  active  and  progressive 
spirit  of  Liu  Ming-chuan.  He  read  a  Chinese  copy 
of  the  passports,  listened  carefully  to  A  Hoa's  cour- 
teous and  polished  explanations,  affixed  the  official 
seals,  and  wrote  a  brief  order  to  all  officials,  civil  and 
military,  to  extend  all  courtesy  and  afford  every  as- 
sistance to  the  distinguished  foreigners  who  were  vol- 
unteering their  services  to  the  Chinese  forces.  There 
were  none  of  the  old-time  red-tape  evasions  and  de- 
lays of  Chinese  officialdom.  He  was  another  of  the 
pioneers  of  a  new  China. 

A  Hoa  returned  to  Tamsui,  having  fulfilled  his  com- 
mission. The  rest  pushed  on  towards  the  camp  at 
Loan-Loan. 

Before  they  left  the  city  they  met  in  the  streets 
many  natives  who  were  plainly  refugees  from  Keelung 

104 


GLORIOUS  WAR  105 

and  the  vicinity.  Once  outside  the  walls,  they  saw 
the  narrow  road  as  it  wound  and  zigzagged  through 
the  rice-fields,  dotted  with  town  and  country  people, 
hurrying  as  best  they  could  towards  the  capital  for 
safety.  The  farther  they  advanced  the  denser  grew 
the  stream  of  fugitives. 

The  rice-fields  were  left  behind  with  the  plain  near 
Taipeh.  The  road  began  to  pass  through  a  more  and 
more  mountainous  region.  It  grew  narrower  and 
narrower,  until  it  was  a  mere  foot-path,  sometimes 
threading  the  bottom  of  a  ravine  and  sometimes  cling- 
ing precariously  to  the  face  of  a  hill  which  was  almost 
a  precipice;  now  dropping  down  to  the  very  margin 
of  the  river  or  fording  a  tributary  stream,  and  now 
far  up  on  a  mountain  side.  And  all  the  way,  like  a 
huge,  writhing,  variegated  snake,  appearing  on  the 
hillsides  and  open  spaces,  disappearing  in  the  ravines, 
in  the  long  grass  or  groves  of  bamboos,  that  endless 
line  of  refugees  wound  its  slow  length  along. 

It  is  about  twenty  miles  from  Taipeh  to  Keelung. 
After  the  first  ten  miles  the  throng  of  fugitives  be- 
came so  dense  that  it  was  very  difficult  for  the  chairs 
to  proceed.  Honest  fathers  of  families  laden  with  all 
they  could  carry  of  their  poor  household  possessions; 
rascally  banditti  and  sneak  thieves  taking  advantage 
of  the  general  disorder  and  distress  to  loot  their  neigh- 
bours' deserted  houses,  and  even  to  snatch  from  the 
hands  or  shoulders  of  the  defenceless  the  few  valua- 
bles they  were  trying  to  save;  women  hobbling  along 
on  their  little  feet  with  infants  strapped  to  their  backs, 
and  older  children,  whom  they  were  ill-able  to  help, 
clinging  to  their  hands ;  maidens  terror-stricken  by  the 
tales  of  the  imaginary  atrocities  of  the  foreign  devils, 
and  scarcely  less  afraid  of  the  real  atrocities  of  their 


106  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

own  rascally  fellow-countrymen,  especially  of  many  of 
the  braves  from  the  mainland. 

At  long  intervals  a  sedan-chair  pressed  its  way 
through  the  throng,  bearing  a  sick  or  wounded  officer 
back  to  the  capital.  Wounded  regulars  in  white  or 
red  or  maroon  tunics  and  straw  hats  limped  along, 
adding  a  touch  of  colour  to  the  writhing  serpent.  Ir- 
regular levies  in  the  ordinary  dark-blue  cotton  cloth- 
ing of  the  Chinese  coolies  were  hastening  home,  glad 
of  the  success  of  the  French  attack,  so  that  they  might 
get  an  opportunity  to  desert  with  their  arms  and  all 
the  loot  they  could  lay  their  hands  upon. 

The  flight  had  its  comedies  and  its  tragedies.  But 
the  comedies  only  played  lightly  over  the  surface  of 
the  general  tragedy.  A  coolie  jogged  along  with  two 
huge  baskets  swinging  from  the  ends  of  the  bamboo 
carrying-pole.  In  one  were  a  small  pig  and  a  number 
of  live  ducks  and  hens.  Balancing  these  in  the  other 
basket  were  his  two  children. 

Some  farmers,  making  an  effort  to  save  their  live- 
stock, drove  a  number  of  pigs  and  a  herd  of  water- 
buffaloes  into  the  midst  of  the  long  line  of  refugees. 
But  frightened  by  the  yells  and  execrations,  pounded 
with  staffs  and  bamboo  yokes,  and  jabbed  by  the 
knives,  spears,  and  bayonets  of  the  soldiers,  they  stam- 
peded along  the  narrow  way  through  the  midst  of  the 
procession.  The  pigs,  running  between  the  feet  of  the 
weary  plodders,  upset  many.  But  the  buffaloes,  with 
their  huge  bulk  and  enormous  horns,  flung  them  right 
and  left  and  trampled  some  to  death,  till  their  mad 
rush  turned  off  at  an  angle  from  the  road  being  fol- 
lowed. Over  all  rose  a  continual  clamour  of  shrill, 
high-pitched  voices — talking,  scolding,  cursing,  crying, 
screaming  hysterically. 


GLORIOUS  WAR  lOT 

One  old  woman  with  white  hair,  hobbling  painfully 
along  with  the  aid  of  a  staff,  stopped  again  and  again, 
saying  that  she  could  go  no  farther.  Each  time  her 
son,  who  was  laden  with  the  most  precious  of  his 
household  goods,  reasoned  with  her,  pled  with  and 
adjured  her  to  try  again.  He  was  backed  by  all  the 
members  of  the  family.  After  much  shrill  altercation, 
she  would  make  another  attempt  and  struggle  along 
a  short  distance.  At  last  she  stopped,  sat  down  by 
the  wayside,  and,  in  spite  of  all  they  could  do,  refused 
to  budge  an  inch.  Her  poor  little  bound  feet  could 
carry  her  no  farther.  Seeing  that  persuasion  was  in 
vain,  the  son  put  down  his  load  of  valuables.  He 
looked  hesitatingly  from  his  mother  to  his  poor  pos- 
sessions, and  from  them  back  to  his  mother  again. 
Filial  piety  prevailed,  and  crouching  down  he  lifted 
his  mother  on  his  back  and  trudged  on,  leaving  his 
chattels  by  the  way.  He  had  not  gone  a  hundred 
feet  when  there  was  not  an  article  left.  But  there 
were  other  old  and  feeble,  other  women  and  children, 
who  had  none  to  carry  them.  They  were  left  beside 
the  road  to  live  or  die. 

A  man  dressed  in  a  long  gown  of  mauve  silk,  evi- 
dently a  prosperous  merchant,  was  trudging  along, 
followed  closely  by  his  wife,  a  couple  of  young  maid- 
ens, evidently  daughters,  and  some  younger  children. 
One  of  the  bandits  who  had  been  enrolled  as  soldiers 
and  had  deserted  was  hurrying  past.  Like  a  flash  he 
snatched  at  a  cord  he  saw  around  the  merchant's  neck, 
jerked  a  bag  of  money  from  within  his  clothes,  and 
with  a  tug  which  well-nigh  strangled  him  wrenched  it 
away.  Recovering  himself  a  little,  the  merchant,  with 
a  scream  of  anger,  struck  the  robber  over  the  head 
with  His  staff.     Instantly  the  ruffian  levelled  his  gun 


108  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

and  blew  out  his  victim's  brains,  in  the  midst  of  the 
shrieking  women  of  his  household.  Then,  darting 
into  the  long  grass  and  bamboos,  he  made  his  escape. 
There  was  none  to  avenge.  There  were  none  save 
the  weeping  women  to  care.  Fear  and  the  instinct  of 
self-preservation  made  them  all  brutes.  The  throng 
pressed  blindly  on,  trampling  the  still  quivering  body 
of  the  murdered  man  under  their  feet. 

There  were  many  more  women  and  children  in  the 
flight  than  men.  It  was  not  merely  because  some  of 
the  men  had  willingly  taken  service  against  the  enemy, 
and  others  had  been  impressed.  In  many  cases  it  was 
because  the  husbands  and  fathers  had  fled  first  and 
left  their  wives  and  children  to  fare  as  best  they  could. 
Love  plays  so  small  a  part  in  Chinese  home  life  that 
there  was  little  bond  to  bind  husbands  to  wives.  A 
wife  is  purchased  in  much  the  same  way  as  any  other 
domestic  animal.  When  it  came  to  a  choice  between 
his  individual  safety  by  unencumbered  flight  and  in- 
curring some  risk  by  waiting  to  save  his  wife,  many 
a  Chinese  husband  unhesitatingly  chose  the  former. 
The  women  of  such  families  had  to  seek  safety  as 
best  they  could.  Great  numbers  of  them  were  among 
the  fugitives. 

These  defenceless  women  were  the  special  prey  of 
the  irregular  levies,  deserters,  and  banditti,  who  were 
everywhere  searching  for  loot  and  committing  deeds 
of  violence.  Taking  advantage  of  the  crowding  and 
confusion  caused  by  the  passing  of  Sinclair's  chair  at 
a  narrow  part  of  the  road,  one  scoundrel  snatched 
some  jewellery  from  several  unprotected  women, 
twisted  bracelets  from  their  arms,  and  even  twitched 
earrings  from  their  bleeding  ears.  It  was  right  in 
front  of  Sergeant  Gorman's»chair.     Then  the  robber 


GLORIOUS  WAR  109 

sprang  past  the  chair  on  the  side  next  the  moun- 
tain in  his  attempt  to  escape.  He  was  not  quick 
enough. 

"  Och,  you  dirty  thavin'  blackguard,  take  that !  " 

A  fist  shot  out  of  the  little  opening  in  the  side  of 
the  covered  chair,  and  a  blow  like  that  of  trip-hammer 
caught  the  Chinese  on  the  jaw  and  dashed  him  against 
the  steep  hillside.  Then,  with  a  spring  which  knocked 
his  forward  chair-bearer  off  his  feet,  Gorman  was  out 
in  the  open  ready  for  action. 

He  was  none  too  soon.  Supple  as  a  cat,  the  Chinese 
had  rolled  over  and,  lying  on  the  ground,  was  already 
taking  aim.  But  Gorman  was  too  quick.  The  rifle 
was  dashed  aside  and  discharged  harmlessly  along 
the  mountain  slope.  In  another  instant  it  was 
wrenched  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Chinese  and  flung 
across  the  path,  down  the  bank  into  the  river.  Then, 
gripping  his  adversary  by  the  neck-band  of  his  short 
blue  jacket,  the  Irishman,  with  one  tremendous  heave 
of  hand  and  foot  together,  lifted  the  Chinese  clear 
of  the  ground  and  pitched  him  headlong  after  his 
rifle.  The  last  wild  scream  of  rage  and  fear  ended 
in  the  splash  of  the  falling  body.  The  swift  dark  wa- 
ter swept  it  out  of  sight. 

"  Begorra,  an'  ye'U  not  abuse  definseless  women  anny 
more! " 

At  the  first  sound  of  Gorman's  voice  mingling  with 
the  shrill  clamour  of  the  Chinese,  Sinclair  had  sprung 
from  his  chair  with  a  big  .44  revolver  in  his  hand, 
ready  for  action.  He  did  not  know  what  had  brought 
on  the  scrimmage.  But  a  glance  showed  him  that, 
while  Gorman  was  quite  able  to  cope  with  the  pres- 
ent situation,  there  was  a  possibility  of  serious  danger. 
A  few  long  strides  brought  him  to  where  the  sergeant 


110  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

had  just  flung  his  opponent  down  the  bank  into  the 
river. 

The  screams  of  terror  of  the  women  redoubled  at 
the  sight  of  the  two  foreigners.  The  size  of  Sinclair, 
the  fierce  vigour  of  Gorman,  the  fair  complexions, 
the  foreign  dress  and  foreign  weapons  of  both,  brought 
to  mind  the  stories  they  had  heard  from  infancy  of 
the  great,  green-eyed,  red-faced,  hairy  barbarians  who 
came  from  over  the  sea,  who  knew  not  the  rules  of 
good  conduct,  and  who,  whenever  they  got  the  chance, 
maltreated  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Han. 

Cries  of  "Ang-mng!  Ang-mng!"  (Red-heads), 
*' Hoan-a-kui !  "  (Foreign  devils)  rose  above  the  in- 
articulate shrieks  of  fear. 

Sergeant  Gorman  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  Ut- 
terly unmindful  of  the  wild  disorder  about  him,  he 
busied  himself  gathering  up  the  articles  of  jewellery 
which  the  thief  had  dropped  in  the  struggle.  Then 
with  his  best  Chinese  and  profound  bows  he  returned 
these  to  the  women  from  whom  they  had  been  torn. 

For  a  moment  the  terrified  women  could  not  real- 
ize his  meaning.  When  they  did,  their  shrill  cries  of 
"  Ang-mng!  "  and  "  Hoan-a-kui!  "  gave  place  to  that 
of  "  Horsim!  Ho-sim!  "  (Good  heart). 

At  the  same  time  the  student  guide,  getting  an  op- 
portunity to  make  his  voice  heard,  was  explaining 
that  these  were  not  Frenchmen,  but  Englishmen,  that 
they  were  friends  of  the  missionary,  Kai  Bok-su,  and 
that  they  were  doctors  going  to  heal  the  Chinese  who 
had  been  wounded  in  the  battle  with  the  French. 
Again  the  cry  "  Ho-sim !  "  (Good  heart)  rose  from  the 
fugitives.  Only  some  of  the  rascally  looters  looked 
at  them  with  evil  eyes  and  sullen  faces. 

Sending  their  chairs  back,  Dr.   Sinclair,  Sergeant 


GLORIOUS  WAR  111 

Gorman,  and  their  Chinese  companions  proceeded  on 
foot.  Before  long  they  turned  off  into  a  path  leading 
in  an  easterly  direction  and  soon  touched  the  Chinese 
lines.  The  order  from  the  governor's  deputy  gained 
them  courteous  treatment,  and  they  were  conducted  to 
the  general's  headquarters  at  the  village  of  Loan- 
Loan. 


XI 

THE  LIFE-HEALER  IS  COME 

DR.  MacKAY  had  prepared  the  Chinese  com- 
mander for  their  coming.  Liu  Ming-chuan 
lost  no  time  in  meaningless  formalities.  He 
read  their  passports,  thanked  them  for  coming,  issued 
orders  giving  Dr.  Sinclair  a  free  hand  in  dealing  with 
the  sick  and  wounded,  and  in  half  an  hour  saw  him 
beginning  his  work. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,"  said  MacKay.  "  I 
was  sure  you  would."  The  keen  black  eyes  looked 
straight  into  Sinclair's  blue  ones.  "  I  was  sure  you 
would,"  he  repeated.  "  You  want  to  do  good  to  hu- 
manity. I  never  saw  a  time  when  it  was  more  needed. 
God  sent  you  here  for  this  very  time." 

"  I  hope  that  may  be  true,"  replied  Sinclair.  "  For 
the  present  we  must  get  busy.  Have  many  wounded 
been  brought  in  ?  " 

'*  More  than  a  hundred.  But  I  believe  that  there 
are  many  more  in  the  various  forts  or  on  the  open 
hillsides,  lying  where  they  fell.  There  has  been  no 
system  about  collecting  the  wounded." 

"  That  will  be  for  you  to  organize,  sergeant — an 
ambulance  corps." 

*'  Bedad,  sir,  an'  if  they'll  give  me  the  men  I  ask 
for  I'll  train  them  till  they  can  pick  up  a  wounded 
man  before  he  falls." 

*'  That's  what  we  want,  sergeant.  Meanwhile,  Dr. 
MacKay,    what   accommodation   can   they  give   us? 

113 


THE  LIFE-HEALER  IS  COME  113 

Just  as  we  went  into  the  governor's  you  spoke  of  a 
hospital.    Have  you  succeeded  in  improvising  one?" 

**  That's  where  we  are  going  now.  You  can  see 
for  yourself.    Here  we  are." 

He  turned  into  a  narrow  lane.  As  he  did  so  the 
pungent  odour  of  disinfectants  reached  their  nostrils. 
Another  sharp  turn  and  he  stopped  at  the  door  of  a 
long,  low,  but  well-built  house  of  durable  burned 
brick.  They  had  approached  it  from  the  back.  On 
the  other  side  two  long  buildings  extended  from  each 
end  of  the  main  structure,  at  right  angles  to  it,  with 
it  forming  three  sides  of  a  square  and  enclosing  a 
large  paved  courtyard.  The  fourth  side  had  been 
shut  in  by  a  high  fence  of  interwoven  bamboos.  But 
this  had  been  cleared  away.  Now  the  courtyard 
opened  directly  on  a  beautiful,  swift-flowing  stream,  a 
branch  of  the  Tamsui  River.  Mountains  clothed  with 
verdure  from  base  to  summit  rose  from  the  farther 
shore.  A  soft  breeze  blew  up  the  river  and,  eddying 
in  the  courtyard,  modified  the  intense  heat.  A  clump 
of  feathery  bamboos  nodded  gracefully  over  the 
buildings. 

On  the  earthen  floor  of  the  houses,  on  the  cobble- 
stones which  paved  the  courtyard,  on  the  ground  out- 
side, quicklime  had  been  plentifully  scattered.  A 
strong  odour  of  carbolic  told  that  other  precautions 
had  been  taken. 

Sinclair  passed  through  the  building  with  long,  swift 
strides,  his  eyes  seeing  everything.  He  paused  when 
he  reached  the  river  bank  and  noted  the  means  pro- 
vided for  the  disposal  of  sewage.  Then  he  turned 
to  MacKay: 

"  Had  any  provision  been  made  for  this  before  you 
arrived  ?  " 


114?  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  None." 

"  Had  the  Chinese  done  nothing  to  care  for  their 
wounded?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"  Did  their  doctors  help  you  to  get  this  hospital 
in  shape?" 

"  No.    They  opposed  me  all  they  could." 

"  MacKay,  you're  a  marvel." 

"  Do  not  praise  me.  You  have  not  looked  at  the 
vi^ounded  yet.  They  are  suffering.  You  must  remem- 
ber that  I  am  not  a  qualified  medical  doctor.  I  am 
a  preacher  of  the  gospel.  I  know  little  of  medicine, 
and  almost  nothing  of  surgery." 

**  The  more  wonder  that  you  have  accomplished  so 
much!" 

**  It  is  my  work.  My  Master  not  only  healed  the 
souls  of  men,  but  relieved  the  suffering  of  their  bod- 
ies.   To  the  best  of  my  ability  I  try  to  do  the  same." 

"  You're  right.  That's  what  we're  here  for — to 
make  life  better  for  as  many  as  we  can.  There  are 
a  lot  here  who  need  our  help.    Let  us  get  busy." 

They  stepped  again  into  the  main  building  and  stood 
in  the  narrow  passage  between  the  rows  of  bare  trestle 
boards  which  served  as  beds.  Wounded  men  were 
lying  there  as  close  together  as  was  possible  and  yet 
leave  room  for  a  doctor  to  step  in  beside  them.  There 
was  a  hum  of  conversation,  but  very  little  moaning, 
and  rarely  a  cry  of  pain.  The  Chinese,  so  noisy  in 
their  times  of  sorrow  or  of  joy,  so  clamorous  in  their 
excitement,  are  strangely  silent  in  pain  and  bear  suf- 
fering stoically. 

Dr.  MacKay  lifted  his  voice  so  that  all  could  hear, 
speaking  in  Chinese. 

"  Friends,"  he  said,  "  the  physician  of  whom  I  told 


Sinclair  threw  oil  his 


coat,  rolled  up  his  sleeves,  and  went 
to  work 


THE  LIFE-HEALER  IS  COME  ,115 

you  has  come.  Listen  to  him.  Submit  to  his  treat- 
ment. Do  what  he  tells  you.  He  will  heal  you.  He 
will  give  you  your  lives  again." 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  all  other  voices  were 
hushed.  Thin  brown  forms  turned  painfully  on  the 
bare  boards ;  rows  of  black  heads  were  raised  from  the 
hard  bolsters;  black  eyes  looked  out  of  bronze  or 
ghastly  yellow  faces  at  the  fair  giant  who  towered 
above  the  black-bearded  missionary ;  from  lip  to  lip  the 
word  passed  down  the  lines : 

"  I-seng  lai!*  I-seng  lai!"  (The  doctor  is  come. 
Literally,  the  life-healer  is  come.) 

Without  a  word  Sinclair  threw  off  his  coat,  rolled 
up  his  sleeves,  and  went  to  work.  Sergeant  Gorman 
and  one  of  MacKay's  students  went  first,  preparing 
each  case  for  treatment.  Sinclair  followed,  with  Mac- 
Kay  to  assist  and  interpret  and  another  student  to 
carry  basins  of  water. 

The  wounds  were  nearly  all  caused  by  shells  or 
shrapnel.  There  were  no  clean  wounds  by  rifle  bul- 
lets. The  range  had  been  too  great  and  the  Chinese 
too  well  protected  behind  their  fortifications.  The 
mitrailleuses  had  accomplished  little.  They  were 
noisy,  terrifying,  spectacular,  but  ineffective.  Only 
once  had  a  machine  gun  done  much  execution.  A  part 
of  the  fortifications  on  the  east  side  of  the  harbour 
had  been  rendered  untenable  by  the  heavy  shell-fire. 
A  body  of  Chinese  regulars  were  retreating  to  the  new 
fort  in  too  close  formation.  The  marines  working 
a  mitrailleuse  in  the  Villars'  tops,  found  their  range 
perfectly  and  poured  a  stream  of  bullets  into  their 
midst,  killing  many  and  threatening  the  whole  de- 
tachment with  extermination.  But  just  at  the  critical 
♦Pronounced,  Ee-see-ung  li. 


116  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

moment  the  quick-firer  jammed,  and  all  the  oaths  and 
efforts  of  the  squad  could  not  get  it  into  working  or- 
der again  until  the  Chinese  were  under  cover. 

The  sights  were  all  the  more  ghastly,  the  suffer- 
ing the  more  intense,  the  prospects  of  recovery  the 
fewer  because  the  death-dealing  had  been  done  by 
shell  and  shrapnel.  There  was  nothing  clean-cut 
about  their  work.  A  fragment  of  shell  had  shorn 
away  a  man's  left  shoulder,  taking  with  it  the  joint, 
but  missing  the  axillary  artery  and  part  of  the  great 
breast  muscle,  by  which  the  arm  still  hung. 

Sinclair  glanced  at  MacKay.  The  latter  under- 
stood : 

"  Better  not  have  an  amputation  first  thing.  They 
are  ignorant  and  suspicious." 

**  I  thought  so.  Anyway,  I  do  not  want  to  take 
time  to  amputate  now.  We'll  dress  it  and  amputate 
later." 

A  shrapnel  shell  had  exploded  close  to  another's 
side.  The  hip,  part  of  the  pelvis,  and  much  of  the 
flesh  had  been  shredded  away,  exposing  the  working 
of  the  organs  of  the  abdomen.  It  was  not  good  to 
see.  From  that  ghastly  rent  blood-poisoning  had  al- 
ready set  in.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done.  They 
made  him  as  easy  as  possible  on  the  hard  boards  of 
his  cot,  administered  an  opiate,  and  left  him  to  sleep 
till  the  last  sleep  should  fall  upon  him. 

One  had  been  struck  just  above  the  ear,  and  a  chip 
of  his  skull  three  inches  in  diameter  shot  away,  leav- 
ing his  brain  uncovered. 

"  He  will  die.  We'll  make  him  comfortable  in  the 
meantime." 

A  fragment  had  caught  another  on  the  cheek,  and 
his  lower  jaw  was  gone. 


THE  LIFE-HEALER  IS  COME  117 

"  Better  if  he  would  die,  too.  It  would  be  a  mercy 
to  let  him  out  easy.  But,  no;  if  God  gives  him  a 
chance,  so  must  I.     We'll  patch  him  up." 

More  to  himself  than  to  any  one  else,  he  was  speak- 
ing in  a  low  tone.  All  the  while  the  doctor's  hands 
were  busy  dressing,  soothing,  trimming,  mending, 
healing  those  poor,  shattered  bodies  of  ignorant  Asi- 
atic peasants,  the  weak  atoms  of  humanity  which  a 
great  European  nation  had  sent  her  mighty  en- 
gines of  death  to  destroy — the  pitiful  trophies  of 
glorious  war.  And  not  one  of  those  brown  or  yel- 
low men  had  the  faintest  glimmer  of  an  idea  what 
the  war  was  about,  or  why  his  poor  body  had  been 
maltreated  so.  The  foreign  devils  had  come  to  take 
his  land  and  he  had  been  set  to  defend  it.  That  was 
all  he  knew. 

Stranger  still  was  what  these  other  foreign  devils 
were  doing.  They  were  trying  to  heal  him.  One 
set  of  foreign  devils  by  their  magic  had  knocked  his 
fortifications  to  pieces,  mangled  his  body,  and  brought 
him  to  the  verge  of  death.  And  now  another  set  of 
foreign  devils,  by  some  other  magic,  were  patching 
his  broken  body  together  again  and  bringing  it  back 
to  life.     He  could  not  understand. 

But  some  way  or  another  those  last  foreigners  grew 
into  his  confidence.  There  was  something  in  the 
words  of  that  barbarian  with  the  long  black  beard, 
who  spoke  their  language  more  perfectly  than  they 
did  themselves,  which  quieted  him  and  gave  him  hope. 
There  was  something  about  the  great,  red-haired 
giant,*  who  did  not  seem  to  understand  their  lan- 
guage at  all  and  yet  seemed  to  understand  at  once 

*  The  Chinese  do  not  distinguish  between  the  different  shades 
of  fair  hair.    All  that  is  not  jet  black,  is  called  red. 


118  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

what  his  sufferings  were  and  how  to  heal  them,  which 
inspired  him  with  confidence.  It  might  be  magic 
he  was  using,  but  it  must  be  good  magic.  Before  him 
men  were  writhing  restlessly  on  their  wooden  beds, 
sometimes  moaning,  occasionally  uttering  an  agonized 
"  ai-yah,"  ever  and  anon  asking  plaintively  for  water 
or  tea.  Behind  him  they  lay  back  peacefully  and,  with 
few  exceptions,  went  to  sleep. 

So  all  down  the  rows  of  improvised  cots  heads  were 
raised,  yellow  or  brown  faces  were  turned,  and  black 
eyes,  some  anxious,  some  curious,  still  more  wistful, 
watched  every  movement  of  the  foreign  doctor.  His 
size,  the  massive  head  with  its  crown  of  wavy,  fair 
hair,  his  huge  shoulders,  his  bare  arms,  powerful  and 
white  beside  their  skinny  brown  ones,  all  were  noted. 
Why  did  he  wash  his  hands  so  often?  It  was  a  part 
of  his  magic.  What  was  he  going  to  do  with  that 
knife?  Was  he  going  to  cut  the  man's  heart  out? 
No,  he  used  it  on  one  farther  down,  and  now  the  man 
was  sitting  up  drinking  tea.  So  they  watched,  and 
so  confidence  grew.  And  at  every  movement  the  doc- 
tor made  from  cot  to  cot,  the  word  "I-seng  lai  "  (the 
life-healer  is  coming)  was  passed  from  one  to  another 
of  the  patients. 

The  sun  had  sunk  behind  the  hills  and  night  was 
coming  on.  Smoky  Chinese  lamps  and  one  good  lan- 
tern belonging  to  MacKay  were  lighted.  Still  Sin- 
clair worked  on. 

"  You  had  better  stop  long  enough  to  get  some- 
thing to  eat,"  said  MacKay. 

"  Thank  you,  MacKay;  but  I  haven't  time  just  now. 
Minutes  mean  lives  to  some  of  these  men." 

"  Well,  you  must  take  a  cup  of  tea.  The  boy  will 
bring  some  to  you  here." 


THE  LIFE-HEALER  IS  COME  119 

"  Very  well." 

Standing  at  the  foot  of  a  cot  studying  a  case,  he 
hastily  gulped  down  several  tiny  native  cups  of  tea, 
without  either  sugar  or  milk.  Then  he  was  at  work 
again. 

The  night  was  wearing  on — the  dark,  close,  hot 
night,  with  a  temperature  only  a  couple  of  degrees 
cooler  than  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  Still  he  worked 
swiftly,  certainly,  almost  silently.  What  a  transfor- 
mation from  the  evening  before,  at  the  consul's  din- 
ner party !  The  lazy  grace  of  the  big,  powerful  frame, 
which  had  caught  the  consul's  eye,  was  gone.  Every 
line  of  the  body,  every  play  of  muscles  spoke  of  in- 
tense, forceful  energy,  and  yet  energy  which  was  un- 
der perfect  control.  The  physical  strength  which  en- 
abled him  to  lift  a  man  like  a  child  in  his  hands,  or 
draw  with  apparent  ease  a  dislocated  hip-joint  back 
into  its  place — the  same  self -controlled  strength  made 
his  touch  in  another  case  as  light  as  that  of  a  deli- 
cate woman.  The  look  of  good-humoured  interest 
with  which  he  had  studied  the  characteristics  of  his 
fellow-guests,  or  bandied  repartee  with  Miss  MacAl- 
lister,  or  amused  the  company  with  his  songs,  was 
gone.  It  was  still  a  kindly  face,  a  face  which  inspired 
confidence  in  even  those  ignorant  Chinese  soldiers 
over  whom  he  bent.  But  no  one  who  looked  into 
that  face  would  lightly  trifle  with  the  man  in  his  pres- 
ent mood. 

Every  one  present  felt  it.  MacKay,  something  of 
an  autocrat  in  his  own  sphere,  read  the  face  of  the 
man  beside  him  and  never,  except  at  his  command  to 
interpret  for  him  or  to  give  desired  assistance,  of- 
fered a  suggestion.  A  group  of  Chinese  officers  came 
in,  manifesting  their  usual  supercilious  air  towards 


120  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

foreigners.  Talking  loudly  and  pushing  inquisitively 
forward,  they  got  in  Sinclair's  way. 

''  Tell  these  fellows  to  shut  their  mouths  and  keep 
out  of  my  road." 

MacKay  interpreted  it,  more  courteously  perhaps, 
but  forcibly.  It  was  in  silence  and  at  a  respectful 
distance  that  the  Chinese  officers  continued  to  look 
on.  Presently  some  more  came  in,  louder  spoken 
and  more  inquisitive  than  the  first. 

"Tell  that  last  bunch  to  get  out.  The  rest  can 
stay  if  they  want.  Tell  their  senior  officer  to  set  a 
guard.  I'll  have  no  more  in  here  except  on  busi- 
ness." 

It  was  done. 

The  night  wore  on.  Some  of  the  hopeless  cases 
found  relief  in  death.  From  time  to  time  others  were 
brought  in  to  take  their  places.  Some  of  these  had 
now  been  nearly  forty-eight  hours  since  being 
wounded,  lying  out  in  the  long  grass  and  brushwood 
of  the  hillsides  or  crawling  slowly,  painfully  towards 
safety.  Worse  still,  some  had  been  through  the  hands 
of  native  quack  doctors. 

The  brief,  grey  dawn,  followed  by  the  swift  sun- 
rise, took  the  place  of  the  night.  Still  Sinclair  worked 
on,  for  still  the  pleading,  wistful  eyes  of  suffering 
men  were  watching  his  movements  and  still  he  heard 
them  say  in  words  whose  meaning  he  had  come  to 
understand : 

*'  I-seng  lai  "  (The  life-healer  comes). 

As  he  straightened  himself  after  bending  over  a 
patient,  Sergeant  Gorman  saluted  him: 

''Excuse  me,  sir;  but  a  bad  case  has  just  come  in. 
If  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  is  more  in  need  of  imme- 
diate treatment  than  any  of  the  others  I  have  seen." 


THE  LIFE-HEALER  IS  COME  1^1 

The  jocular  manner,  the  excessive  brogue,  the  con- 
stant tendency  to  bulls  and  repetitions  had  dropped 
from  Sergeant  Gorman  like  a  cloak.  His  manner 
was  serious;  his  accent  hardly  noticeable;  his  bear- 
ing that  of  a  thoroughly  capable  and  efficient  officer 
on  important  duty. 

"What   is  the  injury,   sergeant?" 

"  A  hand  shot  off  at  the  wrist.  The  poor  devil  tied 
a  cord  around  it  to  stop  the  blood.  Been  that  way 
for  two  days  without  dressing.  It's  badly  swollen, 
gangrened,  and  fly-blown." 

"Very  well,  sergeant.  I  guess  we'll  have  to  am- 
putate at  once.     Where  is  the  patient  ?  " 

"  In  the  operating  tent." 

Swiftly,  surely  the  work  was  done,  and  the  man 
carried  back  to  a  cot  of  boards  in  the  improvised 
hospital. 

Sinclair  was  turning  back  to  the  wards  to  attend 
to  other  cases  when  an  exclamation  from  MacKay 
arrested  him: 

"  Lee  Ban !    Is  it  possible  ?  " 

A  sampan  had  come  down  with  the  current  and 
run  its  bow  ashore  at  the  hospital.  A  man  was  lifted 
out  and  deposited  on  the  bank,  up  which  he  crawled 
painfully  on  hands  and  knees.  His  face  was  drawn 
and  ghastly  with  suffering.  His  clothing,  which  had 
once  been  rich,  was  torn  to  ribbons. 

It  was  Lee  Ban,  one  of  the  wealthiest  merchants 
of  Keelung.  He  had  sent  his  family  away  to  safety 
earlier,  but  had  to  stay  himself  till  the  day  of  the 
bombardment.  When  escaping  from  the  town  a  shell 
had  exploded  near  his  chair.  A  fragment  had  passed 
through  the  bottom  of  it,  at  the  same  time  shearing 
away  the  entire  calf  from  one  of  his  legs.     He  had 


122  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

paid  the  chair-bearers  generously.  But  they  fled  for 
their  lives  and  left  him  where  he  lay.  He  had  the 
name  of  being  the  most  charitable  citizen  of  Keelung, 
and  he  saw  many  a  one  that  day  whom  he  had  helped 
with  his  means.  But  they  rushed  past  him,  utterly 
unheeding.  War  had  kindled  in  them  the  primal  in- 
stinct of  self-preservation,  and  had  subordinated  every 
human  feeling  to  brute  fear. 

He  bound  his  leg  as  best  he  could  and  started  to 
crawl  towards  safety.  All  day  he  crept  on  hands  and 
knees,  and  through  the  night  until  he  lay  exhausted 
and  unconscious.  In  the  morning  he  bribed  some  sol- 
diers who  were  searching  for  wounded  to  carry  him 
to  the  camp.  They  took  him  to  a  native  doctor,  who 
plastered  the  great  open  wound  with  a  mixture  of 
mud  and  cow-dung.  Then  he  heard  that  Kai  Bok-su 
was  here,  and  the  foreign  doctor.  He  had  himself 
brought  to  them. 

While  he  told  his  story  in  Chinese  to  MacKay,  Ser- 
geant Gorman  and  his  helpers  had  carried  him  to  a 
cot  and  were  unbandaging  the  leg  for  the  doctor's 
inspection. 

"  For  the  love  of  heaven !  " 

The  great,  gaping  wound,  extending  from  the  knee 
to  the  ankle,  was  alive  with  maggots. 

This  also  is  one  of  the  glories  of  war. 


XII 

MATUTINAL  CONFIDENCES 

EIGHT  o'clock  on  the  morning  Dr.  Sinclair  left 
Tamsui  for  the  front  found  the  consul  in  the 
breakfast  room.  Clean-shaven,  dressed  in  spot- 
less white,  he  looked  as  cool  and  fresh,  and  was  as 
prompt  to  the  minute,  as  if  he  had  enjoyed  a  perfect 
night's  rest.  A  moment  or  two  later  Mrs.  Beau- 
champ  entered. 

"  Good-morning,  Harry.  I  am  afraid  that  I  have 
disgraced  myself  by  being  late,"  she  said  with  a  little 
mock  anxiety. 

"  Not  at  all,  my  dear.  My  wife  is  never  late.  I 
think  my  watch  is  a  few  seconds  fast." 

"  Thank  you,  Harry.  You  always  find  an  excuse 
for  me." 

"  Oh,  no !  it  is  not  that,"  replied  her  husband,  as  if 
ashamed  that  he  should  allow  any  partiality  to  cause 
him  to  swerve  from  his  rigid  rule  of  punctuality. 
"  Really,  I  am  a  little  ahead  of  time.  I'm  deuced  hun- 
gry this  morning.  I  could  hardly  wait  for  Ah  Soon 
to  get  breakfast  ready." 

**  What  time  did  you  come  to  bed  last  night  ?  I  be- 
lieve that  I  did  not  hear  you  at  all." 

"  You  certainly  did  not.  You  were  sleeping  so 
soundly  that  the  French  might  have  bombarded  Tam- 
sui and  come  ashore  and  carried  you  off  without  you 
waking." 

"  Oh,  Harry !  I  think  that's  real  mean  of  you.  You 
123 


lU  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

know  perfectly  that  I  know  your  step  and  movements 
so  well,  that  I  sleep  just  as  soundly  when  you  are 
moving  about  as  when  there  is  absolute  silence.  But 
any  other  person's  step  would  waken  me  at  once." 

"  You're  right  there.  I  do  not  believe  that  you 
heard  me  this  morning,  either." 

"  No,  I  did  not.  What  time  did  you  rise  ?  I  think 
it  is  not  a  bit  fair  of  you  to  steal  out  of  bed  like 
that  without  awaking  me.  And  then  to  wait  down 
here  with  your  watch  in  your  hand  to  catch  me  ten 
seconds  late!  I  do  not  like  that.  I  have  a  mind  to 
get  offended." 

"  Hold !    This  is  getting  tragic. 

*  You've  ungently,  Brutus, 

Stole  from  my  bed 

You  stared  upon  me  with  ungentle  looks. 

then  you  scratch'd  your  head, 

And  too  impatiently  stamped  with  your  foot.' 

Let's  change  the  subject.  May  I  have  another  cup  of 
coffee?" 

"  What  an  anti-climax !  From  high  tragedy  to  hot 
coffee !    How  shocking !  " 

"Where  is  Constance?" 

"  I  fancy  that  she  is  sleeping  yet." 

"Was  she  not  put  to  bed  at  her  usual  time?" 

"  Yes.  But  the  amah  says  that,  once  the  singing 
began,  she  wakened  up  and  insisted  on  getting  out 
where  she  could  hear  it  better.  She  was  out  on  the 
upper  verandah  all  the  time.  So  she  didn't  waken  as 
early  as  usual.     But  she'll  be  down  soon." 

"  She  should  have  been  made  stay  in  bed." 

"  Oh,  well !  we  cannot  tie  her  down  too  hard  and 
fast.  She  dearly  loves  singing,  and  she  has  taken 
a  most  extraordinary  fancy  to  Dr.  Sinclair." 


MATUTINAL  CONFIDENCES  125 

"  I  do  not  mind  how  much  fancy  she  may  take  to 
Sinclair.  But  there  are  some  of  the  others  who  were 
here  last  night  whom  I  do  not  want  her  to  meet  any 
more  than  she  must.  By  the  way,  Sinclair  is  off  to 
the  war." 

''  Off  to  the  war !    What  to  do?  " 

"  To  give  his  services  as  a  doctor  to  the  Chinese  and 
to  try  to  organize  a  Red  Cross  corps  for  them." 

"  How  interesting !  But  is  it  not  very  dangerous 
for  a  foreigner  to  venture  among  the  Chinese  just 
now  ?  Especially  one  who  is  a  stranger  and  does  not 
know  the  language  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  little.  But  Dr.  MacKay  is  over  there  at 
present.  I  also  let  Sergeant  Gorman  go  with  Sin- 
clair. Each  is  an  expert  in  his  own  line.  They  are 
all  pretty  shrewd.  I  do  not  think  that  they  are  likely 
to  get  into  trouble.  Gardenier  is  lending  me  a  man 
to  take  Gorman's  place." 

"When  did  they  leave?" 

"  By  the  first  launch  this  morning." 

A  light  was  dawning  on  Mrs.  Beauchamp's  mind: 

*'  There  was  no  mention  of  this  at  dinner  last  even- 
ing.   When  did  Dr.  Sinclair  decide  to  go?  " 

*'  Just  after  he  bade  you  good-night.  He  got  a  let- 
ter from  MacKay,  asking  him  to  go,  and  decided  at 
once." 

"  And  all  the  arrangements  had  to  be  made,  pass- 
ports and  everything  else  drawn  up  between  then  and 
the  first  launch  this  morning." 

The  consul's  eyes  were  dancing  and  his  face  was  a 
study : 

"  It  had  to  be  done." 

**  You  base  deceiver!  After  all  your  talk  about  my 
sleeping  so  soundly,  you  were  never  in  bed  at  all." 


126  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

The  consul  laid  back  his  head  and  laughed  till  even 
the  grave,  slant-eyed  Celestial  v^aiter  hurried  into  the 
room  to  see  if  there  was  need  of  assistance. 

"  You  missed  me  a  v^hole  lot,  didn't  you,  Gwen  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  want  to  talk  to  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  do !    We'll  change  the  subject  again.'* 

"  You  needn't.    I  shall  not  talk." 

"  Yes,  you  will.  How  ever  did  Miss  MacAllister 
get  such  a  spite  at  Sinclair  as  she  showed  last  even- 
ing?" 

*' Spite!"  (with  immense  contempt).  "Spite!" 
(still  more  contemptuously). 

"  Well,  I  do  not  know  what  else  you  would  call  it. 
She  made  game  of  him  and  bally-ragged  him  at  every 
turn.  If  he  hadn't  been  so  well  able  to  take  care  of 
himself,  I  should  have  had  to  interfere  and  protect 
him,  since  he  was  our  guest." 

"  And  you  think  that  it  was  because  she  had  a  spite 
at  him  ?  It's  a  lot  a  man,  even  a  married  man,  knows 
about  the  ways  of  a  woman." 

"  I'll  acknowledge  it,  Gwen.  *  There  be  three  things 
which  are  too  wonderful  for  me,  yea,  four  which  I 
know  not,'  and  the  most  wonderful  of  the  four  are 
the  ways  of  a  maid  with  a  man."  He  took  the  chance 
that  she  would  not  notice  the  inversion;  and  she  did 
not.  "  Solomon  was  much  more  married  than  I  am, 
and  he  did  not  understand  the  ways  of  a  woman, 
Gwen.    It's  not  fair  to  expect  it  of  me." 

She  did  not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  not.  It  was 
hard  to  resist  the  serio-comic,  mock-penitent  expres- 
sion on  his  face.  She  felt  like  punishing  him  by 
breaking  off  the  conversation.  But  the  subject  was 
too  interesting  to  drop.  That  was  what  he  had 
counted  on,  and  he  judged  wisely. 


MATUTINAL  CONFIDENCES  1^7 

"I  should  have  thought  that  a  man  who  had  been 
married  nearly  a  dozen  years,  and  who  had  such  a 
wide  ante-nuptial  experience,  ought  to  be  able  to  rec- 
ognize the  symptoms  when  a  woman  is  falling  in 
love." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  the  way  Miss  MacAllis- 
ter  treated  Sinclair  last  evening  is  a  symptom  that  she 
is  falling  in  love  with  him  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

''  It  looks  more  to  me  like  cruelty  to  animals." 

'^  She'll  make  up  for  the  cruelty  afterwards." 

*'  Or  falling  in  love  with  the  other  fellow." 

"Well,  it  isn't." 

"  But  you  didn't  act  like  that  with  me." 

"  You  silly.'^ 

"  Serious !    I  mean  it." 

"  You  caught  me  before  I  was  old  enough  to  know 
any  better.  I  was  hopelessly  gone  before  I  knew 
what  was  the  matter  with  me." 

"  Are  you  sorry?  " 

'*  No,  Harry;  you  know  that  I'm  not." 

Their  hands  touched  for  a  moment  across  the  corner 
of  the  little  breakfast  table.  Their  eyes  looked  at  each 
other  as  they  had  looked  in  the  days  when  he,  the 
young  student  interpreter,  who  had  just  got  his  first 
step  in  the  service  and  was  home  on  his  first  furlough, 
with  all  the  romance  about  him  of  having  lived  in  the 
Far  East  amidst  far,  strange  peoples,  won  the  love  of 
the  young  girl,  fresh  out  of  a  boarding-school.  A  flush 
suffused  her  delicate  face,  making  it  look  very  youth- 
ful and  beautiful. 

It  was  in  a  gentle  tone  that  the  husband  con- 
tinued : 

"You  really  think  that  this  is  what  is  the  matter 


128  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

with  Miss  MacAllister,  that  she  is  in  danger  of  losing 
her  heart  to  the  big  Canadian  doctor?  " 

**Yes,  I  do.  She  told  me  that  they  had  a  bit  of 
a  tiff  coming  over  on  the  Hailoong,  and  that  she 
sauced  him  shamefully.  But  he  got  back  at  her  before 
they  left  the  boat,  and  now  she  wants  to  get  even. 
She  knows  that  there  is  something  wrong  with  her, 
and  has  a  suspicion  what  it  is.  That  is  what 
makes  her  so  hard  on  him.  She  doesn't  want  to 
give  in." 

"A  case  of  playing  with  fire?" 

"  Yes,  I  fancy  it  is." 

"  Well,  it  may  be  only  a  passing  flirtation,  quite 
harmless  to  all  concerned.  But  if  it  is  anything  more, 
and  she  has  a  notion  of  turning  this  Asiatic  trip  of 
hers  into  a  matrimonial  venture,  by  Jove!  I  believe 
that  big  doctor,  with  all  his  notions  about  being  a 
missionary,  is  the  best  investment  she  could  make  in 
these  parts." 

"  Her  mother  doesn't  think  so." 

*'  What  has  she  in  view  ?  " 

"  A  title." 

"What!     Carteret?" 

"  Yes." 

"  The  thundering  old  fool !  " 

''  Oh,  Harry !  " 

"  I  mean  it.  H  you  weren't  here,  Gwen,  I'd  swear. 
It's  always  the  way  with  those  tradespeople  who  have 
started  as  peasants  or  domestics  and  made  money. 
They  would  sell  themselves  or  their  daughters  to  the 
devil  for  a  title.  If  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  devils, 
came  along  they  would  marry  a  daughter  to  him,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  speak  of  her  as  Her  Royal  Highness 
the  Princess  of  the  Devils." 


MATUTINAL  CONFIDENCES  129 

"  Oh,  Harry,  stop !  You  mustn't  say  that.  Surely 
Mr.  Carteret  is  not  so  bad  as  that." 

''  He's  not  far  short  of  it" 

"  You  never  told  me  that." 

"  There  are  a  lot  of  things  I  don't  tell  you.  They 
wouldn't  be  pleasant  for  you  to  hear,  nor  for  me  to 
tell.  And,  anyway,  in  this  little  hole-in-the-corner  of 
the  world  you  have  to  associate  with  all  those  fellows 
more  or  less.  It's  easier  for  you  if  you  do  not  know 
too  much  about  them." 

"  But  the  men  here  are  not  all  bad,  are  they?  " 

"  Oh,  no !  No !  I  wouldn't  have  you  think  that. 
Some  of  them,  I  think  most  of  them,  are  as  good  as 
you  could  get  at  home.  But  there  are  others.  And 
Carteret  is  one  of  the  others." 

"  Mrs.  MacAllister  does  not  know  that." 

"  Perhaps  not.  But  she  has  seen  enough  of  the 
world  to  know  the  difference  between  a  man  like  Sin- 
clair and  one  like  Carteret." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  it  is  the  title.  She  told  me  that 
his  father,  the  present  lord,  is  an  old  man  and  can- 
not live  long;  and  that  his  older  brother,  the  present 
heir,  is  dying  of  consumption — as  she  expressed  it, 
*  has  only  one  lung.'  So  she  thinks  that  Carteret  is 
sure  to  succeed  to  the  title  soon." 

"  Yes ;  and  in  the  meantime  the  two  brothers  love 
each  other  so  that  the  heir  will  not  hear  of  this 
prospective  supplanter  being  nearer  to  him  than  China 
is  to  England.  Esau  and  Jacob!  And  Mrs.  Mac- 
Allister would  give  her  daughter  to  that  scavenger, 
and  the  MacAllister  money  to  fix  up  the  Carteret  es- 
tates, just  to  have  a  title  in  the  family !  Gwen,  I  want 
to  swear." 

"  Oh,  Harry,  you  are  shocking !  " 


ISO  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Can't  help  it,  Gwen.     I  must  swear." 

"  Well,  Harry,  if  it  will  save  you  from  injury " 

"It's  damnable!  .  .  .  Thanks,  awfully,  Gwen.  I 
feel  some  better  now." 

"I  hope  that  you'll  not  have  another  attack  for 
some  time." 

"  Then  we'll  have  to  talk  about  something  else." 

"  What  a  marvellously  versatile  entertainer  Dr.  Sin- 
clair is !    I  think  that  he  is  quite  a  wonder." 

"  What  is  better,  he  has  both  brains  and  gumption. 
He  was  as  keen  on  getting  to  the  front  as  a  hound  on 
a  scent.  But,  unlike  most  hounds,  he  didn't  give 
tongue.  He  said  nothing.  Just  went,  and  that  at 
once." 

"  I  was  afraid  that  it  would  come  to  a  passage  at 
arms  between  him  and  Carteret?  Did  you  ever  hear 
so  much  insult  put  into  the  tone  of  voice  as  Carteret 
did  last  evening?" 

"  It  will  be  a  bad  day  for  Carteret  when  he  pushes 
Sinclair  too  far.  Most  men  from  Sinclair's  country 
don't  take  much  stock  in  titles.  They  would  pull  a 
peer's  nose  just  as  soon  as  a  peasant's.  That's  the 
kind  of  Sinclair.  .  .  .  Hallo,  Puss,  what  time  is  this 
to  be  getting  down  to  breakfast?  " 

"  Good-morning,  daddy.  This  is  a  lovely  time  to  be 
getting  down,  much  nicer  than  eight  o'clock.  Good- 
morning,  mother.    Have  you  been  up  long?" 

'*  Long  enough  to  have  my  breakfast  eaten.  I  hear 
that  you  were  a  bad  girl  last  evening,  Constance — 
that  you  didn't  stay  in  bed  or  go  to  sleep  till  all 
hours." 

But  Constance — a  tall,  straight  child  of  nine,  with 
a  step  as  light  and  graceful  as  that  of  a  fawn,  and  a 
wealth  of  dark-brown  curls  framing  her  clear-cut  fea- 


MATUTINAL  CONFIDENCES  131 

tures  and  frank  eyes — did  not  seem  to  be  very  peni- 
tent: 

''  Oh,  mother,  it  was  just  lovely  to  hear  the  sing- 
ing. I  could  have  listened  to  you,  and  daddy,  and  Miss 
MacAllister,  and  Dr.  Sinclair  all  night." 

''  Wise  child ! "  remarked  her  father,  somewhat 
grimly.  '*  She  knows  the  proper  selection  to  make 
and  whom  to  put  first." 

"  There  were  others  singing,  Constance,  besides  the 
ones  you  mentioned,"  said  her  mother. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  know.  I  did  not  recognize  some 
of  the  voices.  But  I  knew  Mr.  Carteret's  and  Mr. 
De  Vaux's." 

*'  Mr.  Carteret  is  a  fine  singer." 

**  Yes,  I  suppose.  But  I  didn't  like  the  way  he  sang. 
He  put  such  a  funny  tone  in  his  voice.     He  kind 

of Oh,  I  don't  know  how  to  describe  it.     It 

sounded  like  the  way  Carlo  used  to  howl  after  daddy 
sent  Fan  over  to  Amoy." 

''  Good  heavens !  " 

*'  And  Mr.  De  Vaux's  voice  was  just  like  my  sing- 
ing doll  after  I  burst  the  bellows  in  her.  She  could 
give  only  one  squeak,  and  then  had  to  wait  till  I  put 
some  more  wind  into  her  before  she  could  give  an- 
other." 

*'  That'll  do,  Constance ;  we've  had  enough  of  your 
opinions  on  singing.  Get  busy  with  your  breakfast 
or  you'll  get  none." 

''All  right,  daddy." 

"  Boy !  You  tell  coolie  boys  to  roll  the  lawn.  Ten- 
nis this  afternoon.     Can  savey  ?  '* 

"  All  lite !  All  lite !  My  can  savey.  Loll  lawn. 
A-paw  phah-kiia  "  (Afternoon  strike-ball). 

"  Oh,  goody !    Dr.  Sinclair  will  be  here." 


132  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

*'  No,  Constance ;  Dr.  Sinclair  will  not  be  here." 

"Why,  mother?" 

"  He  has  gone  away  over  to  Keelung  to  care  for 
the  sick  and  wounded  after  the  battle." 

"Oh,  mother!"  The  finely-curved  lips  trembled 
A  big  tear  stole  out  of  each  eye. 

"  Mother,  do  you  think  that  he  might  get  killed  ?  " 

"No,  Connie.  I  do  not  think  that  he  is  in  any 
danger." 

The  big  tears  rolled  down  the  cheeks  and  dropped. 

"Mother,  will  he  come  back?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  that  he  may  come  back  in  a  little 
while." 

"I'm  so  glad!" 

"  By  Jove !  I'll  have  to  watch  that  Sinclair.  He 
makes  conquests  of  both  old  and  young." 


XIII 
MORE  CONFIDENCES 

IN  the  building  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  near  the 
shore,  occupied  by  MacAllister,  Munro  Co.  partly 
as  a  warehouse  and  partly  as  a  residence  for  the 
company's  European  employees,  another  matrimonial 
tete-a-tete  was  taking  place.  De  Vaux  and  his  two 
or  three  assistants,  the  representatives  of  the  big  Lon- 
don firm  in  North  Formosa,  had  found  temporary 
quarters  in  the  buildings  of  the  customs'  compound 
or  with  the  staffs  of  other  firms.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
Allister and  their  daughter,  with  the  native  servants, 
had  the  living-rooms  of  the  big  hong  to  themselves. 

It  was  little  more  than  seven  o'clock,  an  extraor- 
dinary hour  for  rising  the  morning  after  a  late  din- 
ner. But,  with  characteristic  regularity  of  habits,  Mr. 
MacAllister  was  already  up  and  shaving.  As  was  fit- 
ting at  such  an  hour,  he  was  clothed  only  in 
pyjamas  and  slippers.  But  even  those  shapeless  gar- 
ments were  worn  with  an  attention  to  neatness  quite 
lacking  in  most  men  whom  a  score  and  a  half  of  years 
of  married  life  have  made  entirely  indifferent  to  per- 
sonal appearance  in  the  intimacy  of  the  bed-chamber. 
He  had  even  taken  the  trouble  to  brush  his  hair,  at 
least  what  was  left  of  it — another  extraordinary  pro- 
ceeding on  the  part  of  a  man  who  was  likely  to  be 
seen  by  no  person  but  his  wife. 

The  shaving  process  was  nearly  done.  He  was 
carefully  feeling  the  hard  spots  on  each  side  of  his 


134  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

chin  to  see  if  any  offending  hairs  had  escaped  the 
relentless  sweep  of  the  razor  and  still  projected  within 
its  range. 

"  Hector,  you  are  a  most  extraordinary  man.'^ 

The  voice  came  from  within  the  canopy  of  the 
mosquito  curtains  draped  around  the  high-posted  iron 
bed  which  occupied  the  centre  of  the  room. 

*'  Good-morning,  my  dear !  Is  it  only  now  that  you 
have  found  that  out?" 

**  You  are  a  most  extraordinary  man." 

"  What  new  marvel  have  you  found  in  me,  my 
dear?" 

"  To  think  that  there  is  only  about  one  hour  of 
the  twenty-four  in  this  disgusting  climate  in  which 
one  can  sleep  comfortably  and  you  would  not  allow 
me  to  have  that,  but  must  get  up  and  disturb  me  by 
shaving." 

"  I  am  exceedingly  sorry  if  I  have  disturbed  you, 
my  dear.  But  every  time  I  wakened  during  the  night 
you  were  sleeping  very  peacefully,  and " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !    I  have  not  slept  at  all." 

**  And  when  I  got  up  you  were  not  only  sleeping, 
but  snoring  gently,  and " 

"  That's  all  nonsense !  I've  been  wide-awake  all 
night." 

"And,  although  I  have  been  about  for  nearly  an 
hour,  you  continued  to  snore  very  gently  until  a  mo- 
ment before  you  spoke,  and " 

"  Hector,  I'm  astonished  at  you !  You  know  per- 
fectly well  that  I  never  sleep  in  hot  weather.  I  do 
not  understand  why  you  ever  chose  to  come  to  such 
a  country  as  this  in  the  summer." 

"  And  now  you  are  looking  thoroughly  refreshed 
and  fit  for  anything,  and " 


MORE  CONFIDENCES  135 

"  I'm  more  tired  than  when  I  went  to  bed." 
"  And  when  you  have  your  bath,  and  comb  your 
hair,  and  are  dressed,  you  will  be  as  fresh  and  beau- 
tiful as  you  were  when  I  brought  you  to  London  from 
the  Highlands  thirty  years  ago." 

"  Hector,  it  iss  flattering  me  you  would  be." 
She  was  sitting  up  now  under  the  canopy  of  mos- 
quito curtains.  If  an  outsider  could  have  looked  in, 
he  would  probably  have  agreed  that  her  husband  was 
flattering  shamefully.  Unlike  him,  neatness  in  pri- 
vate was  not  one  of  her  virtues.  Her  hair,  black  and 
luxuriant  as  in  her  girlhood,  was  tossed  and  tousled. 
The  flesh,  which  had  grown  upon  her  with  years,  un- 
girt  and  unrestrained,  flowed  shapelessly  with  every 
movement. 

But  her  face  was  still  fresh  in  colour  and  comely 
in  form.  A  little  care  about  her  appearance  in  the 
privacies  of  life  would  have  made  her  perennially  at- 
tractive to  him,  as  attractive  as  when  he  had  taken  her 
as  a  bride.  Perhaps  at  the  moment  she  felt  this.  At 
any  rate,  the  words  of  compliment  and  admiration 
were  as  sweet  to  the  ears  of  the  middle-aged  woman 
as  they  had  been  to  the  young  girl  of  thirty  years 
before.  Her  little  irritation  about  the  disturbed  slum- 
bers and  his  chafling  manner  passed  like  a  summer 
cloud.  Unconsciously  she  fell  back  into  the  accent 
of  her  girlhood  when  she  said : 

"  Hector,  it  iss  flattering  me  you  would  be." 
He  dressed  with  as  much  care  of  his  personal  ap- 
pearance as  if  he  were  in  London.  Then  he  went  out 
for  a  walk  along  the  shore,  pausing  under  the  shade 
of  some  great  banian  trees  to  enjoy  the  magnificent 
scenery.  Presently  he  returned  to  the  room  where 
his  wife  was  now  almost  ready  for  breakfast. 


136  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Our  friends  on  board  the  Hailoong  and  the 
Locust  are  all  up  and  active.  But  there  is  no  stir 
anywhere  else  except  among  the  Chinese.  Neither  De 
Vaux  nor  any  of  his  staff  have  put  in  an  appear- 
ance.'' 

"  They  have  fallen  into  the  v^ays  of  this  climate," 
replied  his  wife,  ''and  sleep  when  it  is  possible  to 
enjoy  sleep." 

*'  I  am  afraid  De  Vaux  will  not  be  in  condition  to 
do  much  to-day.  He  drank  heavily  last  evening.  He 
has  been  in  our  employ  a  long  time,  and  as  a  rule 
has  done  very  well.     But  I  wish  that  he  drank  less." 

"  You  must  remember,  Hector,  the  class  to  which 
Mr.  De  Vaux  belongs.    He  is  of  noble  family." 

"  All  the  more  reason  why  he  should  keep  control 
of  himself.    I  was  ashamed  of  him  last  night." 

"  But,  Hector,  people  of  rank  all  drink.  You  must 
not  forget  that  Mr.  De  Vaux  is  a  man  of  birth." 

"  Probably  he  was  born  some  time,  my  dear.  But 
from  all  accounts  there  does  not  seem  to  be  much  rea- 
son to  be  proud  of  the  manner  of  it." 

"  Now,  Hector,  you  ought  to  make  allowance  for 
the  nobility.  They  have  privileges  which  common  peo- 
ple have  not." 

"  They  certainly  seem  to  take  them." 

"  That's  not  fair  to  people  of  rank,  Hector.  They 
have  always  been  accustomed  to  do  these  things.  Now 
with  Dr.  Sinclair,  for  example,  it  is  quite  different. 
He  belongs  to  the  common  people  and  never  had  the 
chance  to  be  anything  else  but  respectable.  But  Mr. 
De  Vaux  and  Mr.  Carteret  are  men  of  quality.  You 
couldn't  expect  them  to  be  teetotallers  and — and " 

"  Decent,"   supplied  her  husband. 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  just  that." 


MORE  CONFIDENCES  137 

"But  that's  about  the  fact,"  persisted  Mr.  Mac- 
Allister. 

"  No ;  I  never  heard  anything  against  them.  Mr.  De 
Vaux  has  Hved  out  here  a  long  time.  He  may  have 
fallen  into  the  ways  of  the  East.  But  I  think  that  Mr. 
Carteret  is  a  perfect  gentleman." 

Her  husband  looked  at  her  keenly. 

"  He  seemed  to  be  willing  to  pay  a  good  deal  of 
attention  to  Jessie  last  evening." 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  without  returning  his  gaze. 
*'  He  appears  to  be  very  much  attracted  by  her." 

"  Was  she  attracted  to  him  in  return  ?  " 

"Why  shouldn't  she  be?  He  is  a  handsome  and 
most  accomplished  young  man,  and  has  the  best  pros- 
pects of  succeeding  to  the  title  and  estates.'* 

"  He  is  a  younger  son." 

"  Yes;  but  the  heir  has  only  one  lung." 

Her  husband  gave  a  short  laugh. 

"  I  have  known  one-lungers  to  live  a  long  time," 
he  said.  "  You  mentioned  Dr.  Sinclair  a  moment 
ago.  Whatever  offence  did  Jessie  take  at  him  which 
led  her  to  treat  him  so  disagreeably  ?  " 

Mrs.  MacAllister  had  just  finished  dressing  and 
arranging  her  hair,  and  was  taking  a  last  look  at  her- 
self in  the  mirror.  She  closed  her  lips  tightly,  threw 
back  her  head,  and  gave  a  little  sniff: 

"  So  you  think  she  was  offended  at  him,"  she  said. 

"  What  else  could  make  her  act  the  way  she  did 
last  evening?  " 

"  I  wish  that  I  could  believe  that  you  are  right. 
But  I  am  afraid  that  you  are  not." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  she  was  a  bit  offended." 

"  Well,  if  she  wasn't,  I  cannot  see  what  possessed 


138  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

her  to  act  so  badly.  She  did  everything  she  could 
to  make  him  uncomfortable.  I  feel  as  if  I  ought  to 
make  some  explanation  of  her  conduct  or  offer  some 
apology." 

There  was  another  sniff  as  she  answered  tartly : 

"  It  would  be  wiser  not  to." 

"  But  her  behaviour  was  inexcusable  and  must  have 
seemed  so  to  Dr.  Sinclair." 

"  All  the  better  if  it  should  remain  so." 

"Why?" 

She  made  no  answer. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  he  continued,  "  that  both  you 
and  she  are  inexplicable  sometimes." 

'*  That  is  because  you  have  the  usual  stupidity  of 
a  man  about  everything  in  which  women  are  con- 
cerned." 


XIV 

THE  APPEAL  OF  THE  HEROIC 

"  X  S  Jessie  ready  for  breakfast  ?  " 

I  "Yes,  she  was  ready  before  we  were.  She 
is  on  the  verandah." 

'*  I  think  we  had  better  sit  down.  There  is  no  use 
waiting  any  longer  for  De  Vaux.  I  am  afraid  that 
he  is  not  in  a  condition  to  appear.  You  had  better 
call  Jessie." 

At  that  moment  the  tall,  graceful  figure  of  their 
daughter  appeared  in  the  bright  light  of  the  veran- 
dah, was  framed  for  an  instant  in  the  doorway,  and 
then  came  in,  seeming  to  bring  a  wealth  of  light  and 
brightness  into  the  somewhat  gloomy  apartment 
where  they  were  to  breakfast.  What  a  picture  she 
made!  The  rich  rose  of  her  cheeks,  the  masses  of 
her  brown  hair,  the  deep  violet  eyes  were  brought 
into  sharp  contrast  with  the  white  of  her  tropic 
attire. 

Her  father's  eyes  rested  on  her  proudly,  but  fondly. 
Her  mother  too  was  proud  of  her  rare  young  beauty, 
as  it  seemed  to  irradiate  the  room  and  drive  away 
the  shadows.  But  her  pride  in  her  daughter  was  dif- 
ferent from  the  father's.  Mr.  MacAllister  thought 
of  her  only  as  their  daughter — beautiful,  winsome, 
teasing  sometimes,  but  so  true  in  her  love  and  dutiful- 
nfess  that  she  had  never  really  caused  an  anxious 
thought.  He  loved  her  for  her  own  sake,  and  hers 
alone.    He  felt  a  twinge  of  pain  every  time  the  thought 

139 


140  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

entered  his  mind  that  the  day  would  come  when  she 
would  be  separated  from  them.  Mrs.  MacAllister 
thought  of  her  as  possessed  not  only  of  grace  and 
beauty,  but  of  that  culture  and  social  training  which 
she  herself  so  sadly  lacked.  She  thought  of  her  as 
qualified  to  be  a  queen  in  the  world  of  society ;  dreamed 
of  the  day  when  she  should  bear  a  great,  old  family 
name,  perhaps  that  of  a  noble  house,  and  should  shed 
a  reflected  glory  on  the  MacAllisters,  who  had  ac- 
quired wealth  and  luxury,  but  could  not  contrive  a 
history.     Hers  was  a  love  of  ambition. 

Was  the  attitude  of  the  daughter  towards  her  fa- 
ther and  mother  an  instinctive  though  perhaps  un- 
conscious response  to  the  differing  attitudes  of  her 
parents  to  her? 

"  Good-morning,  father !    Good-morning,  mother !  " 

The  conventional  phrases  were  identical  in  form. 
But  there  was  a  world  of  difference  in  the  accent.  She 
kissed  her  mother  somewhat  perfunctorily.  But  she 
threw  her  arms  around  her  father's  neck,  kissed  him 
tenderly,  and  laid  her  proud  head  with  its  wealth  of 
hair  for  a  moment  on  his  shoulder.  Then  she  lifted 
it  and  asked  very  demurely: 

"Is  not  Mr.  De  Vaux  to  breakfast  with  us  this 
morning?  " 

"  He  promised  to  do  so.  But  it  is  already  nearly 
half  an  hour  past  the  time  we  appointed." 

"  Perhaps  he  is  still  being  *  Rocked  in  the  Cradle 
of  the  Deep.'  " 

"  Whist,  Jessie,  lass !  You  mustn't  make  fun  of 
people's  weakness." 

"  Father,  why  do  men,  when  they  find  themselves 
getting  drunk,  take  another  glass  of  whiskey  and  soda, 
*just  to  straighten  up'?     It  seems  to  me  that  every 


THE  APPEAL  OF  THE  HEROIC         141 

glass  of  it  they  take  makes  them  siUier  and  more 
stupid  than  they  were  before." 

''  Why  do  you  ask  me,  Jessie  ?  You  know  that  I 
am  almost  a  teetotaller.  You  should  answer  that  ques- 
tion yourself.  You  were  championing  the  cause  of 
drinking  last  evening  against  Dr.  Sinclair." 

"  Now,  father,  that's  not  fair."  A  slight  flush 
appeared  on  her  neck  and  flowed  upwards,  deepening 
the  rich  colour  of  her  face.  "  You  know  that  I  didn't 
mean  that,  especially  when  there  were  men  around 
me  drinking  themselves  into  imbecility." 

"  Then,  why  did  you  say  it  ?  " 

Her  father's  eyes,  kindly  but  keen,  were  searching 
her  face.  She  felt  a  fresh  wave  of  hot  blood  mount- 
ing upwards : 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know !  You  ought  to  have  learned 
by  this  time  that  a  woman  cannot  always  give  rea- 
sons even  to  herself  why  she  does  things." 

"  Well,  whatever  you  did  it  for,  you  succeeded  in 
making  Dr.  Sinclair  very  uncomfortable  for  a  while." 

"  He  deserves  to  be  made  uncomfortable,"  she 
flashed  back.  *'He  makes  other  people  feel  very  un- 
comfortable sometimes." 

She  glanced  at  her  mother.  Mrs.  MacAllister's  lips 
were  tightly  closed.  Her  nose  was  elevated  a  bit. 
She  was  about  to  sniff  at  something.  She  had  not 
time.    A  high-pitched  voice  was  heard  outside : 

**  Get  out  of  my  way,  boy.  Bless  my  soul !  Chop- 
chop  !    You  are  most  exasperating." 

A  heavy  footstep  sounded  on  the  stairway  leading 
to  the  second  story,  where  the  living-rooms  were. 
There  were  short  gasps  of  laboured  breathing,  and 
De  Vaux  burst  into  the  room,  peering  blindly  in  the 
semi-darkness  after  the  brilliant  sunshine  without. 


143  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  De  Vaux.  You  are  just  in 
time  to  join  us  at  breakfast.  We  thought  something 
had  occurred  to  detain  you.  But  we  have  just  this 
moment  sat  down.  Pardon  us  for  not  waiting  on  you. 
We  are  deHghted  that  you  are  able  to  be  with  us." 

Mrs.  MacAlHster  was  kind,  almost  effusive,  in  her 
welcome.  But  De  Vaux  could  find  no  words  to  ex- 
cuse his  delinquency : 

"  Mrs.  MacAUister !  .  .  .  I  have  disgraced  my- 
self. .  .  .  Ton  my  soul !  .  .  .  Mr.  MacAUister !  .  .  . 
This  never  happened  to  me  before.  .  .  .  Ton  my 
honour,  as  a  gentleman!  .  .  .  I'm  ashamed  of  my- 
self. .  .  .  Miss  MacAUister!  ...  To  think  that  I 
was  to  have  the  honour  of  having  breakfast  with  you 
— and — I  was  late!  .  .  .  Bless  my  soul!  ...  I  do 
not  know  what  to  think  of  myself." 

The  head  of  the  firm  was  gravely  considerate  and 
courteous  towards  the  firm's  agent,  whose  weakness 
he  had  noted  the  evening  before. 

*'  Accidents  will  happen  sometimes,  Mr.  De  Vaux. 
Allow  me  to  assure  you  that  you  have  caused  us  no 
inconvenience  this  morning.  Will  you  not  be  seated 
and  have  breakfast  with  us?" 

With  some  difficulty  the  stream  of  De  Vaux's  apol- 
ogies and  the  succession  of  his  bows  were  interrupted, 
and  he  was  induced  to  be  seated.  But  his  face  was 
purple  and  his  eyes  were  bulging  and  bloodshot.  Miss 
MacAUister  could  not  resist  the  temptation. 

"  Mr.  De  Vaux,"  she  said,  "  I  am  afraid  that  you 
have  hurried  too  much  in  the  heat.  The  blood  has 
rushed  to  your  head.  I  am  really  concerned  lest  yoit 
should  have  an  attack  of  apoplexy.  I  have  always 
been  so  afraid  of  apoplexy  since  our  old  butler  died 
of  an  attack  after  celebrating  patriotically  but  un- 


THE  APPEAL  OF  THE  HEROIC         14S 

wisely  the  bombardment  of  Alexandria.  Will  you 
not  allow  me  to  order  a  cold  soda  for  you?  Boy 
one  piecee  soda,  ice  cold !  " 

*'  All  lite !    All  lite !    One  piecee  ise  col'  soda !  " 

What  more  she  might  have  said  remains  unknown 
for  a  warning  look  and  a  shake  of  the  head  from  her 
farther  prevented  her  pursuing  her  victim  any  farther 
As  it  was,  De  Vaux  was  in  a  state  of  gurgHng,  stut- 
tering impotence: 

''  Bless  my  soul !  .  .  .  Miss  MacAllister !  . 
Who  else  would  have  thought  of  it?  .  .  .  Lord!  . 
Miss  MacAllister!  .  .  .  You  have  the  kindness  of  an 
angel.  .  .  .  Ton  my  soul,  you  have!  ...  I  assure 
you  that  I  am  quite  well.  .  .  .  Nothing  the  matter 
with  me.  .  .  .  Except  that  I  sat  up  a  little  late  with 
Carteret.  .  .  .  Talked  over  the  delightful  evening 
we  had.  .  .  .  Nothing  else,  I  assure  you.  .  .  .  Ton 
my  honour !  " 

**  And  how  is  Mr.  Carteret  this  morning  ?  "  inquired 
Mrs.  MacAllister  solicitously.  "  I  hope  that  he  is 
very  well." 

*'  My  dear  Mrs.  MacAllister,  make  your  mind  easy 
about  that.  He  is  sleeping  quite  naturally  and 
soundly.  .  .  .  Ton  my  word  of  honour,  he  is!  .  .  . 
The  commissioner  tried  to  waken  him  to  go  to  the 
office.  .  .  .  But  he  couldn't.  .  .  .  Not  even  with  a 
bucket  of  water.  .  .  .  Ton  my  soul,  that's  the 
truth !  .  .  .  I  never  saw  a  man  sleep  so  soundly.  .  .  . 
But  he  will  be  all  right  by  this  afternoon.  He  will 
waken  up  for  tennis.  .  .  .  He's  our  best  tennis 
player.  .  .  .  Bless  my  soul!  There's  no  danger  of 
his  missing  the  tennis." 

Miss  MacAllister  had  tried  to  control  herself 
through  this  expose.     But  by  the  time  De  Vaux  had 


144  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

finished  the  merry  peal  of  laughter  rang  out  without 
restraint.  Her  mother  looked  annoyed  and  mortified. 
Her  father,  scarcely  able  to  conceal  a  smile,  was  dip- 
lomatically trying  to  lead  De  Vaux  to  some  other 
subject, 

''  Did  you  chance  to  hear  any  more  news  of  how 
the  day  went  at  Keelung,  Mr.  De  Vaux?"  he  asked. 
"  Have  any  reports  come  in  from  the  Chinese  side  ?  " 

"  Bless  my  soul !  .  .  .  How  did  I  forget  to  tell 
you?  ...  I  met  Captain  Whiteley  as  I  came 
down.  .  .  .  Mrs.  MacAllister,  that  is  one  of  the 
reasons  why  I  was  late.  .  .  .  Ton  my  word !  I  was 
so  upset  and  ashamed  of  myself  that  I  could  not  pre- 
sent my  apologies.  ...  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr. 
MacAllister.  .  .  .  Captain  Whiteley  told  me  that  Dr. 
Sinclair  was  off  to  the  front  this  morning  before  day- 
break. .  .  .     By !  .  .  .     Ton  my  soul,  I  mean, 

I  was  never  so  surprised  in  my  life." 

"  Dr.  Sinclair!  Off  to  the  front!  "  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
MacAllister  spoke  together. 

**  Yes,"  replied  De  Vaux.  "  He  has  gone  to  serve 
as  a  doctor  with  the  Chinese  army.  .  .  .  Never  heard 
of  a  man  taking  such  risk.  .  .  .  It's  sheer  sui- 
cide. .  .  .    By !  .  .  .     Ton  my  soul,  it  is !  " 

Mrs.  MacAllister  glanced  at  her  daughter,  and  her 
husband's  eyes  followed.  Miss  MacAllister  was  sit- 
ting up  very  erect  and  looking  straight  at  De  Vaux. 
Her  lips  were  parted.  Her  face  had  paled  a  little. 
But  her  eyes  were  dark  and  glowing. 

"  Did  any  one  go  with  him  ?  "  she  asked  abruptly. 

"  I  believe  that  Sergeant  Gorman,  the  constable  at 
the  consulate " 

"  I  mean  did  any  of  the  gentlemen  go?  Any  of  the 
gentlemen  we  met  at  the  consulate  last  evening?  " 


THE  APPEAL  OF  THE  HEROIC         145 

"Why!  Bless  my  soul!  No!  .  .  .  Not  that  I 
know  of!  "  stuttered  De  Vaux. 

"  I  wish  that  I  were  a  man,"  she  flashed  back.  "  I 
would  not  see  one  man  go  out  to  a  dangerous  duty 
alone." 

"  But — but,  my  dear  Miss  MacAllister,"  blurted  out 
De  Vaux.  "  We  did  not  know  that  he  was  going.  .  .  . 
Ton  my  honour  as  a  gentleman,  we  did  not!  .  .  .  He 
left  before  we  were  awake." 

"  That's  one  advantage  of  being  a  teetotaller,"  was 
the  quick  reply. 

Mrs.  MacAllister  elevated  her  nose  and  gave  her 
characteristic  sniff : 

"  I  think  that  Dr.  Sinclair  is  simply  foolhardy.  It 
is  perfectly  absurd  for  a  man  to  risk  his  life  for  the 
sake  of  those  dirty  Chinese.  I  do  not  know  how  any 
one  can  bear  to  live  among  them,  let  alone  having 
to  touch  them."  (De  Vaux  got  very  red.)  "  And  as 
for  going  into  a  whole  army  of  them  to  heal  their 
wounds,  it's  simply  Quixotic "  (she  pronounced  it 
Kwy-so-tic),  "  that's  all  it  is;  Quixotic." 

De  Vaux  winced  at  the  pronunciation — perhaps 
also  at  the  sentiment.  He  began  to  gurgle  unintel- 
ligibly.   As  usual,  Mr.  MacAllister  came  to  the  rescue. 

"  It  was  with  the  hope  of  getting  an  opportunity 
to  do  medical  work  among  these  people  that  Dr.  Sin- 
clair came  to  this  country.  I  should  think  that  the 
present  situation  oft'ers  him  an  admirable  opening.  A 
physician  or  surgeon  who  is  really  in  love  with  his 
work  does  not  stop  to  consider  whether  his  patients 
are  attractive  or  not.  His  one  thought  is  to  heal 
them." 

"  It  is  all  very  good  to  talk  about  sacrificing  oneself 
to  do  good,"  replied  his  wife  tartly.     "  And  when  I 


146  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

am  at  home  I  just  love  to  hear  missionary  sermons,  and 
sometimes  to  attend  women's  missionary  meetings. 
But  to  come  out  here  and  live  among  those  natives 
and  think  you  can  make  them  any  better  and  get  them 
to  know  anything  about  the  religion  which  educated, 
intelligent  white  people  believe  in,  is  sheer  foolishness. 
I  am  very  much  disappointed  in  Dr.  Sinclair.  It  is 
nothing  but  foolishness." 

"  I  think  that  it  is  just  splendid  to  do  something 
like  that,"  said  her  daughter.  "Just  think  of  it,  to 
be  over  there  where  hundreds  of  men  are  being  brought 
in  wounded  and  to  be  the  only  one  who  can  do  any- 
thing for  them!  And  to  have  those  poor  creatures 
wonder  at  the  cures !    Why  wasn't  I  a  man  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  have  one  of  the  dear,  grateful  creatures 
stick  a  knife  into  you  when  your  back  is  turned,"  said 
her  mother  sarcastically. 

But  her  daughter  paid  no  attention  to  the  interrup- 
tion: 

"  Mr.  De  Vaux,  do  you  know  the  country  over 
there,  around  Keelung,  where  the  fighting  is  going 
on?  Of  course  you  do.  Won't  you  tell  us  all  about 
it?" 

So  through  the  remainder  of  the  breakfast  she  plied 
De  Vaux  with  questions,  and  brought  out  the  fact 
that  he  had  really  a  remarkable  store  of  knowledge 
about  the  island  and  its  inhabitants.  And  all  the 
while  the  father  looked  on,  and  occasionally  thought  of 
her  conduct  the  evening  before,  and  wondered.  But 
her  mother  looked  unutterable  things,  ever  and  anon 
interjected  an  acid  remark,  which  served  as  pickles  to 
the  bill  of  fare,  and  frequently  sniffed. 


XV 

THE  LURE  OF  THE  EAST 

MOUNTAIN  and  river,  land  and  sea  slept  that 
afternoon  in  the  wealth  of  sunshine  which 
flooded  the  earth.  A  scarcely  perceptible 
sea-breeze  ever  and  anon  caused  the  lighter  foliage 
to  tremble.  The  great  fronds  of  the  palm  trees  hung 
absolutely  motionless,  the  air  quivered  in  the  heat. 
Millions  of  cicadas  shrilled  in  the  trees  and  shrub- 
bery. In  some  way  or  another  their  ceaseless  quaver- 
ing, shrilling  notes  seemed  to  fit  in  with  the  quivering 
wavelets  of  atmosphere,  until  one  came  to  look  upon 
them  as  cause  and  effect  and  inseparably  associated. 
That  tremulous  atmosphere  would  not  be  complete 
without  those  quavering  notes.  The  notes  would  not 
be  complete  without  the  atmosphere. 

The  native  birds  were  all  silent.  Only  the  Eng- 
lish sparrows  seemed  utterly  indifferent  to  the  heat. 
They  fluttered  and  chirped  and  fought  just  as  cheer- 
fully as  they  would  have  done  in  the  soft  climate  of 
their  native  England  or  amid  the  Arctic  frosts  of  a 
Western  Canadian  January. 

Human  life  was  almost  as  quiescent  as  that  of  the 
birds.  Down  by  the  water-front  of  the  town  a  num- 
ber of  junks  were  hastily  loading  in  order  to  put  to 
sea  with  the  late  afternoon  tide.  Around  the  Hailoong 
a  little  fleet  of  cargo  boats  clustered,  busily  discharg- 
ing their  lading  into  her  hold.    McLeod  had  evidently 

147 


148  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

been  successful  in  his  trip  up-river.  On  the  downs 
back  of  the  consulate  and  the  mission  buildings  Chinese 
soldiers  were  mounting  cannon  of  many  ages  and  de- 
signs on  their  earthworks. 

These  were  the  only  signs  of  activity.  The  sol- 
diers and  cannon  were  the  only  indications  of  war. 
A  great  quiet  rested  over  the  beautiful  landscape,  a 
peace  as  cloudless  as  that  summer  sky.  * 

Clang-clang!  Clang-clang!  Clang-clang!  Clang- 
clang  !  Eight  bells !  Four  o'clock !  The  brazen  notes 
rang  out  from  the  Hailoong.  Like  an  echo  they  were 
answered,  only  in  silver  tones  as  soft  and  sweet  as 
those  of  a  cathedral  chime.  Involuntarily  one  looked 
around  for  the  church-spire  and  waited  to  hear  the 
hymn  tune  come  floating  on  the  air.  But  there  was 
no  church,  and  there  was  no  holy  hymn.  It  was  the 
bell  of  the  trim  little  gunboat,  Locust,  resting  out 
there  on  the  bosom  of  the  river  striking  the  hour  of 
four. 

A  group  of  white-clad  figures  appeared  on  the 
bright  green  of  the  consulate  lawn.  Other  figures  clad 
in  white,  men  and  women,  were  moving  in  ones  and 
twos  along  the  narrow  road  on  the  top  of  the  hill  or 
through  the  shrubbery  of  the  consul's  garden  to  join 
them.  It  might  be  a  tropic  land  and  a  day  of  tropic 
sunshine.  The  natives  of  that  land,  all  save  those 
who  were  compelled  to  work,  might  be  seeking  shelter 
from  the  sun  and  waiting  for  the  cool  of  the  evening 
before  again  exposing  themselves  to  its  rays.  But, 
like  the  sparrows  from  his  home  land,  the  Englishman 
could  not  rest.  The  sun  had  no  terrors  for  him.  If 
he  had  no  work  to  do,  he  would  have  sport.  The 
whole  English-speaking  population  who  could  get 
away  from  their  duties,  whether  residents  or  tran- 


THE  LURE  OF  THE  EAST  149 

sients,  were  assembling  for  the  afternoon  game  of 
tennis. 

Yet  they  were  not  foolhardy  in  their  exposure  to 
the  sun.  They  took  precautions.  Indeed,  the  strik- 
ing thing  about  their  sport  was  the  trouble  they  had 
taken  to  make  it  comfortable  and  enjoyable. 

The  lawn,  if  it  could  not  boast  the  carpet  of  green 
velvet  which  characterizes  an  English  lawn,  was  well 
covered  with  close-set  grass.  In  spite  of  the  efforts 
of  the  great  slugs  to  burrow  it  into  holes  and  throw 
up  pyramids  of  earth,  daily  rolling  had  kept  it  firm 
and  smooth.  A  green  wall  of  hedge,  reenforced  by 
wire  netting,  surrounded  it.  The  big  bulk  of  the  old 
Dutch  fort  sheltered  half  of  it  from  the  rays  of  the 
declining  sun.  An  oblong  of  sail-cloth,  stretched  be- 
tween two  tall  masts,  shaded  the  other  half.  The 
players  had  rarely  ever  occasion  to  be  exposed  to 
the  sun.  Chinese  coolies,  in  the  dark  blue  and  red 
uniforms  of  the  consul's  service,  two  behind  the  play- 
ers and  two  at  the  net,  picked  up  the  balls  and  handed 
them  to  the  players.  Long,  comfortable  settees  and 
chairs,  and  a  table  laden  with  cool  drinks,  nestled 
against  the  hedge  in  the  shadiest  corner. 

"  Really,  Mr.  Beauchamp,  this  is  the  luxury  of  ten- 
nis. A  canopy  to  shelter  us !  Coolies  in  livery  to  pick 
up  the  balls!  I'm  surprised  that  you  do  not  have 
proxies  to  run  for  us,  as  they  do  in  cricket  when  the 
veterans  play.  You  really  ought  to  have  native  boys 
to  do  the  running." 

"We're  working  on  it.  Miss  MacAllister;  we're 
working  on  it.  Soon  we'll  be  able  to  give  it  to  the 
world.  Brand  new  game!  Tropical  tennis!  Latest 
thing  in  sport !  Four  players  to  a  side !  Two  in  the 
inner  courts  and  two  in  the  outer !    Only  two  rackets 


150  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

to  a  side !  Native  boys  in  liveries  of  smiles  and  sun- 
shine to  carry  rackets  from  back  to  forward  players 
and  vice  versa,  as  occasion  to  meet  the  ball  requires. 
Great  discovery!    Carteret  and  I  are  working  on  it." 

"  Magnificent,  Mr.  Beauchamp !  Magnificent !  "  ex- 
claimed Miss  MacAllister  amidst  a  burst  of  laughter. 
"  You  and  Mr.  Carteret  will  be  catalogued  with 
Columbus  and  Sir  Isaac  Newton  among  the  great 
benefactors  of  the  race.  When  will  you  be  able  to 
bestow  it  upon  mankind?  I  do  hope  that  it  may  be 
while  I  am  here." 

"  It  would  have  been  before  this,  were  it  not  that 
Carteret  and  I  differ  on  a  small  point,  a  mere  detail." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"  I  think  it  sufficient  to  provide  the  players  with 
easy-chairs  in  which  to  rest  between  strokes.  But  Car- 
teret wants  them  to  be  permanently  suspended  in  ham- 
mocks, and  that  the  balls  must  be  so  served  as  to  en- 
able the  players  to  return  them  without  arising  from 
a  reclining  position." 

There  was  a  peal  of  laughter  at  the  consul's  little 
absurdity.  Carteret  joined  in  with  the  rest.  But  his 
pallid  face  flushed  at  the  palpable  thrust  at  his  well- 
known  indolence. 

Commander  Gardenier  was  unable  to  come.  But 
his  second  in  command.  Lieutenant  Lanyon,  a  young 
Irishman,  was  delighted  to  escape  the  routine  of  duty 
on  board  ship  for  a  day  ashore  and  the  company  of 
some  attractive  ladies.  With  the  headlong  courage 
of  his  race,  whether  in  love  or  in  war,  he  immediately 
asked  Miss  MacAllister  to  be  his  partner  in  the  first 
set,  without  waiting  to  see  if  that  were  agreeable  to 
his  host,  who  was  arranging  the  players.  His  frank, 
boyish,   open-eyed  admiration   of  his  choice   was  so 


THE  LURE  OF  THE  EAST  151 

good  to  see  that  the  consul,  usually  a  bit  of  an  auto- 
crat in  all  such  matters,  laughingly  accepted  the 
situation. 

''  Carteret,  will  you  take  my  wife  as  partner  and 
defend  the  honour  of  the  island?  These  two  reckless 
young  visitors  have  evidently  taken  it  upon  them- 
selves to  challenge  the  residents." 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Beauchamp.  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  have  so  skilful  a  partner  as  Mrs.  Beauchamp.  We 
shall  endeavour  to  give  a  good  account  of  ourselves. 
From  their  manner  I  should  judge  that  our  opponents 
are  perfectly  confident  of  winning." 

He  looked  to  where  the  young  naval  officer  and  Miss 
MacAllister  were  standing.  They  were  already  deep 
in  conversation  and  apparently  entirely  oblivious  to 
the  rest  of  the  company.    He  heard  Lanyon  say: 

"  By  Jove !  luck  has  come  my  way  to-day.  Little 
did  I  think  when  we  were  ordered  to  Tamsui  that 
there  would  be  such  fortune  before  me  as  to  meet 
any  one  like  you.  It  does  my  heart  good  just  to  look 
at  you." 

Miss  MacAllister  laughed  merrily. 

**  Do  you  always  express  yourself  so  frankly  on 
so  short  acquaintance,  Mr.  Lanyon?"  she  asked. 
"  Fm  afraid  that  I  cannot  believe  much  of  that.  I 
think  that  you  are  Irish.  You  probably  said  the  same 
thing  to  the  last  partner  you  had." 

"  By  my  soul,  I  did  not.  How  could  I  ?  She  was 
forty  if  she  was  a  day,  and  ugly  as  sin." 

His  partner's  laugh  pealed  out  again.  There  was 
no  resisting  such  an  implication. 

"  Very  nicely  put,  Mr.  Lanyon.  Now  I  know  that 
you  are  Irish." 

Just  then  Mrs.  Beauchamp  called  to  them : 


152  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Come,  come,  Mr.  Lanyon.  I  cannot  allow  this. 
You  are  monopolizing  Miss  MacAllister  and  delay- 
ing the  play." 

"  By  my  faith,"  was  the  quick  reply,  "  it's  myself 
that  would  be  mortial  glad  to  monopolize  her." 

''  Oh,  Mr.  Lanyon,  this  is  shocking.  On  less  than 
half  an  hour's  acquaintance,  too !  If  you  say  anything 
more  like  that  I'll  not  be  your  partner." 

"Then,  if  there's  any  danger  of  your  leaving  me, 
I'll  take  it  all  back  with  my  mouth;  but  I'll  think  it 
in  my  heart  just  the  same." 

Carteret's  pale  face,  a  little  paler  to-day  than  usual, 
had  the  same  expression  of  studied  contempt  as  when 
he  met  Sinclair  the  evening  before.  His  lips  parted 
to  utter  some  sarcastic  remark  when  Mrs.  Beauchamp 
interposed : 

"  It's  your  service.  Miss  MacAllister.  Will  you 
not  begin?  " 

In  a  moment  the  lawn  was  animate  with  the  quick- 
moving  white  figures  of  the  players,  and  the  blue  and 
red  of  the  attendant  coolies.  The  contestants  were 
all  experts  at  the  sport,  and  the  set  might  have  been 
prolonged  indefinitely  had  it  not  been  that  Lanyon 
would  not  serve  a  fast  ball  to  Mrs.  Beauchamp.  Again 
and  again  she  assured  him  that  she  was  quite  ca- 
pable of  receiving  a  fast  service  and  that  he  must 
not  throw  the  game  away.  But  the  young  lieutenant's 
Irish  gallantry  would  not  allow  him  to  volley  such 
balls  at  her  as  he  drove  at  Carteret.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  latter  had  no  such  scruples,  but  played  to 
win.  Consequently  he  and  his  partner  did  win  rather 
handily. 

When  the  set  was  over  and  others  had  taken  their 
places,  Carteret  found  an  opportunity  to  engage  Miss 


THE  LURE  OF  THE  EAST  153 

MacAUister  in  conversation  as  they  were  seated  in 
the  shade  of  the  old  fort. 

"  I  was  disappointed  not  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
being  your  partner,"  he  said.  "  I  had  been  looking 
forward  to  it  all  day." 

Instantly  there  flashed  into  her  mind  the  picture 
of  him  De  Vaux  had  painted  that  morning  at  break- 
fast, and  she  could  scarcely  repress  a  laugh.  She 
wondered  to  herself  how  much  of  the  day  he  had 
been  in  a  condition  to  think  of  her.  But  she  answered 
readily : 

"  I  should  be  very  pleased  to  be  your  partner  for 
a  set,  Mr.  Carteret.  There  will  probably  be  an  op- 
portunity later.     You  are  an  expert  at  tennis." 

**  We  all  ought  to  be  experts  in  this  place,"  he  re- 
plied. "  We  get  plenty  of  practice.  Outside  of  office 
hours  there  are  only  two  pastimes  open  to  us — cards 
on  wet  days  and  tennis  when  the  weather  is  fine." 

"  Why,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  should  not  have  thought 
that!  From  what  I  have  seen  of  Tamsui,  I  think  that 
it  is  quite  lively.  With  dinners  and  tennis,  with  war- 
ships coming  and  going,  with  always  the  possibility  of 
seeing  a  row  among  the  Chinese  or  between  them 
and  somebody  else,  I  think  it  must  be  really  exciting 
living  here.  I  should  think  that  it  would  be  great 
sport." 

"  You  may  think  so.  Miss  MacAUister,  from  what 
you  have  seen  of  it.  But  the  condition  you  have  seen 
is  quite  abnormal.  We  do  not  have  London  merchants 
nor  ladies  from  London  drawing-rooms  visiting  us 
every  week.  Neither  do  we  have  the  company  of  naval 
officers  on  ordinary  occasions.  Perhaps,  if  we  had 
more  ladies,  we  might  have  the  attention  and  pro- 
tection of  our  gallant  seamen  more  frequently." 


154  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

His  voice  had  the  sneering  tone  of  the  evening 
before.  Miss  MacAlHster's  eyes  flashed  ominously. 
He  saw  the  danger  signal  and  quickly  changed  the  tone 
and  the  topic : 

*'  Really,  Miss  MacAllister,  as  a  general  rule  this 
place  is  beastly  dull.  There  are  so  few  to  associate 
with.  No  matter  how  enjoyable  their  company  may 
be  at  first,  it  simply  becomes  unbearable  when  you 
have  no  one  else,  don't  you  know?  " 

"Do  you  think  that  is  a  universal  rule,  Mr.  Car- 
teret?" 

He  saw  that  he  had  made  a  tactical  blunder,  beat 
a  hasty  retreat,  and  executed  a  flank  attack : 

**  I  assure  you.  Miss  MacAllister,  that  I  had  refer- 
ence only  to  those  with  whom  one  is  forced  to  asso- 
ciate in  the  casual  relations  of  life.  We  are  not 
associated  by  choice,  but  by  the  caprice  of  fortune 
or  by  compulsion.  And  the  realization  of  the  com- 
pulsion makes  the  association  the  more  unbearable. 
We  get  to  hate  the  very  sight  of  one  another." 

"  I  can  quite  understand  that,"  she  replied.  "  I 
learned  that  when  I  had  to  spend  a  year  in  a  very 
select  boarding-school,  with  a  principal  and  teachers 
whom  I  hated,  and  not  one  girl  of  whom  I  could  make 
a  real  friend.  I  was  more  alone  than  if  I  had  been 
like  Robinson  Crusoe  on  his  island." 

He  was  quick  to  pursue  the  advantage : 

''  That  is  it  exactly.  I  should  be  far  less  lonely 
if  I  were  entirely  alone  or  if  I  had  only  one 
companion,  so  long  as  that  companion  were  con- 
genial." 

She  looked  sympathetically  at  him,  but  did  not 
speak. 

"  That  is  the  tragedy  of  life  in  the  Far  East,"  he 


THE  LURE  OF  THE  EAST  155 

continued.      "  That   is   why   so  many  men   take   to 
drink." 

She  thought  of  the  evening  before  and  of  what  De 
Vaux  had  let  out  at  breakfast.  She  said  nothing; 
so  he  went  on : 

.  "  That  is  why  so  many  men  become  inveterate  gam- 
blers; why  so  many  who  came  out  with  high  hopes  of 
accomplishing  something  end  by  committing  suicide." 

As  he  talked  on  in  this  strain,  quietly,  yet  evidently 
with  deep  feeling.  Miss  MacAllister  began  to  ask  her- 
self if  she  had  not,  in  her  own  mind,  judged  this 
young  aristocrat  too  harshly.  Perhaps  he  was  not  so 
bad  as  she  had  thought  him  the  evening  before,  when 
she  had  refused  any  longer  to  play  his  accompani- 
ments. Perhaps  there  was  some  excuse  for  his  being 
in  the  condition  which  De  Vaux  had  blundered  out  to 
them  that  morning. 

At  any  rate,  he  seemed  to  be  revealing  to  her  an- 
other side  of  his  character.  She  had  met  him  first  as 
the  graceful,  polished  man  of  the  world,  a  little  cynical 
perhaps,  and  yet  so  courteous  in  his  manners  towards 
her  as  to  hide  the  unpleasant  characteristics.  She  had 
noted  his  contemptuous  attitude  towards  Sinclair,  his 
look  and  tone  of  studied  insult.  She  had  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  greedy,  lustful  expression  in  his  eyes 
as  he  bent  over  her  at  the  piano,  and,  before  the  even- 
ing was  done,  the  leer  of  intoxication. 

But  here  was  another  aspect  which  she  had  not 
looked  for.  Without  appearing  to  seek  sympathy,  he 
was  appealing  to  her  feelings,  and  in  spite  of  herself 
she  responded: 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  the  life  out  here  in  that 
way,"  she  said.  "  It  had  appeared  quite  fascinating 
to  me." 


156  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  So  it  appears  to  nearly  everybody  at  first.  But 
after  a  while  it  palls  upon  them.  At  last  it  becomes 
unbearable." 

*'  Then  why  do  they  not  go  home,  or  to  Australia 
or  America  or  somewhere  else  where  they  would  be 
among  their  own  people  ?  " 

*'  We  are  forgotten  at  home.  We  should  be 
strangers  there.  And  as  for  Australia  or  America, 
life  out  here  unfits  a  man  to  succeed  in  lands  where 
everybody  must  be  his  own  servant  and  where  there 
is  no  road  to  success  but  by  hard  work." 

A  little  ray  of  comprehension  shot  into  Miss  Mac- 
Allister's  mind.  It  was  with  a  touch  of  impatience 
that  she  answered: 

"  But,  Mr.  Carteret,  you  do  not  mean  to  say  that 
you  have  been  long  enough  here  to  unfit  you  for  work 
anywhere  else.  If  you  do  not  like  the  life,  why  do 
you  stay  here  ?  " 

"  Pro  bono  familice,"  he  replied  with  a  bitter  laugh. 
"  Because  of  the  affection  of  my  beloved  elder 
brother." 

*'  The  consul  tells  me  that  he  enjoys  himself  here," 
she  said,  avoiding  any  discussion  of  his  family  af- 
fairs. "  He  says  that  there  is  very  good  shooting 
and  some  of  the  best  sea-bathing  he  has  ever  expe- 
rienced." 

"  He  is  welcome  to  the  shooting,  tramping  over  the 
hills  and  through  the  rice  fields  in  a  climate  like  this. 
As  for  the  bathing,  any  pleasure  in  it  is  spoiled  by 
the  walk  home  in  the  heat  afterwards." 

At  that  instant  the  consul,  who  was  playing,  re- 
turned a  ball  with  such  a  screw  on  it  that  after  falling 
in  his  opponent's  court  it  bounded  back  over  the  net. 
His  opponent,  in  a  mad  effort  to  return  it,  plunged 


THE  LURE  OF  THE  EAST  157 

headlong  into  the  net  and  fell.  In  celebration  of  which 
achievement  the  consul  threw  his  racket  high  in  the 
air,  turned  a  handspring,  and  ended  up  by  revers- 
ing himself  and  walking  across  the  court  on  his  hands, 
with  his  feet  in  the  air. 

"  Splendid,  Mr.  Beauchamp ! "  cried  Miss  MacAl- 
lister.  "  Brilliantly  done !  Especially  the  gymnastic 
performance !  " 

''  Right-oh,  Miss  MacAllister ! "  exclaimed  a  deep 
voice  behind  her.  "  The  consul  is  acrobat  enough  to 
make  a  shining  success  as  a  sailor  man." 

It  was  Captain  Whiteley,  come  up  to  drink  a  cup  of 
tea  and  say  good-bye  before  casting  off  for  Hong- 
Kong. 

"  Oh,  Captain  Whiteley,  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you 
before  you  go !  But  what  is  this  I  hear  ?  You  have 
let  your  doctor  go  off  to  Keelung  to  carve  Chinese, 
and  perhaps  be  carved  himself.  I  am  surprised  at 
you." 

"  Not  my  fault,  I  assure  you,  Miss  MacAllister.  He 
was  bound  to  go.  He  is  of  age.  I  could  not  restrain 
him." 

"  I  think  it  is  just  splendid  of  him  to  go.  That 
is  the  sort  of  thing  I  admire  in  a  man.  If  I  were  a 
man,  that  is  what  I  should  like  to  do." 

"  I  am  awfully  glad,  Miss  MacAllister,  that  Sin- 
clair has  at  last  done  something  which  pleases  you. 
I  was  beginning  to  be  afraid  that  you  were  offended 
with  him  past  the  possibility  of  reconciliation." 

She  looked  at  him  sharply.  His  face  was  lamblike 
in  its  innocence,  but  his  eyes  were  twinkling. 

"  That  will  do,  Captain  Whiteley.  You  have  said 
quite  enough." 

The  telltale  colour  deepened  in  her  face,  and  her 


158  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

mother,  who  was  talking  to  Carteret  nearby,  heard 
and  saw,  closed  her  lips  tightly,  and  sniffed. 

The  little  party  of  white-clad  players  were  still  on 
the  lawn  when  the  Hailoong  moved  down  the  river, 
zigzagged  her  way  through  the  field  of  mines,  and 
once  well  beyond  the  bar  steamed  straight  out  over 
the  motionless  sea  in  the  path  of  red-gold  light  from 
the  setting  sun.  It  seemed  the  breaking  of  the  one 
link  between  them  and  the  outside  world.  In  the  soft 
stillness  of  that  evening  in  the  Orient,  London  with 
its  mud  and  smoke,  its  roar  of  trafBc,  its  drab  colours 
and  familiar,  unromantic  life,  seemed  so  far  away 
that  it  might  have  belonged  to  another  world. 

Strange  to  say,  it  was  not  of  London  that  Miss 
MacAllister  was  thinking.  Again  and  again  she  sur- 
prised herself  thinking  of  the  big,  fair-haired  Ca- 
nadian doctor.  She  tried  to  picture  to  herself  his 
surroundings  amid  the  sick  and  suffering,  the  men 
torn  with  shot  and  shell.  She  could  not  help  con- 
trasting them  with  the  peaceful  environment  of  the 
consul's  tennis  party,  where  men  had  been  enjoying 
themselves  in  the  company  of  the  ladies,  and  inci- 
dentally emptying  long  glasses  of  whiskey  and  soda 
or  sipping  tea. 

She  recalled  the  looks  of  the  man  himself,  his  clean- 
cut  features,  straightforward  gaze,  his  good-humour 
even  when  she  was  badgering  him,  and  the  hearty, 
boyish  laugh  when  he  and  McLeod  were  plotting  some 
mischief  together.  Involuntarily  she  contrasted  him 
with  the  cynical  discontent,  the  weary  air  and  self-pity 
of  the  man  with  whom  she  had  talked  that  after- 
noon. If  Sinclair  could  have  known  her  conclusions, 
he  would  have  been  well  content. 


XVI 

SERGEANT  WHATISNAME 

BUT  Sinclair  did  not  know.  Perhaps  at  that  mo- 
ment he  was  not  thinking  much  about  her.  He 
was  just  entering  on  his  long  night's  work 
among  the  wounded.  Every  power  of  mind  was  con- 
centrated on  the  problem  of  those  pain-racked  human 
beings  and  how  to  relieve  their  sufferings. 

And  yet  ever  and  anon,  when  he  had  finished  an 
operation  and  his  mind  relaxed  as  his  hands  almost 
mechanically  followed  the  familiar  process  of  ban- 
daging, a  picture  floated  before  his  eyes.  It  was  only 
a  transparency,  through  which  he  could  see  every  line 
of  the  brown  limb  or  body  he  was  binding  up  with 
care.  But  it  was  as  clear  to  him  as  though  it  had 
been  done  on  canvas  by  the  brush  of  a  painter.  It 
was  the  picture  of  a  proudly-carried  head,  with  a 
crown  of  brown  hair,  a  beautiful  oval  face  with  rich 
colour,  dark  violet  eyes  dancing  with  fun,  and  full  red 
lips  parted  in  a  teasing  laugh,  which  made  the  hot 
blood  tingle  in  his  face  at  the  very  memory  of  it. 

As  the  days  passed  by  he  had  more  time  to  think 
of  that  face.  The  first  strenuous  days  over,  the  pres- 
sure on  his  time  and  strength  relaxed  somewhat.  A 
number  of  the  greatest  sufferers  died.  But  in  the  ma- 
jority of  cases  the  singular  toughness  and  marvellous 
recuperative  power  of  the  Chinese  seconded  his  skilful 
surgery.  Many  a  man  who,  if  he  had  belonged  to 
any  Western  nation,  would  have  been  invalided  home, 

159 


160  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

never  to  be  able  to  rejoin  the  colours,  in  ten  days  or 
two  weeks'  time  left  the  hospital  and  returned  to  his 
regiment.  There  were  but  few  wounded  being 
brought  in.  The  French  were  unable  to  advance  be- 
yond the  shore  line.  The  Chinese  were  unable  to  dis- 
lodge the  French  from  the  foothold  they  had  obtained. 
Consequently,  for  nearly  a  month  after  the  bombard- 
ment there  was  little  fighting. 

The  weather,  though  exceedingly  hot,  was  not  un- 
healthy. In  any  case,  those  who  might  be  sick  pre- 
ferred to  go  to  their  own  doctors  for  medical  treat- 
ment. While  they  acknowledged  the  superiority  of 
the  foreigner  in  surgery,  they  unhesitatingly  main- 
tained that  their  own  physicians  were  unequalled  in 
their  knowledge  of  medicine. 

The  most  common  disease  was  the  ever-present  ma- 
larial fever.  It  was  caused  by  two  devils — the  nega- 
tive devil  who  industriously  fanned  the  victim  to  give 
him  chills  and  the  positive  devil  who  worked  a  fur- 
nace overtime  to  give  him  his  spells  of  fever.  As 
the  foreign  surgeon  was  a  stranger  to  the  country  and 
supposed  to  have  little  acquaintance  with  those  dili- 
gent devils,  the  preference  was  given  to  the  incanta- 
tions of  native  priests  or  the  indescribable  decoctions 
of  native  doctors. 

As  a  result,  Sinclair's  duties  had  grown  lighter 
every  day.  The  service,  which  at  first  had  taxed  to  the 
utmost  even  his.  splendid  strength  and  vigour,  ha,d 
become  less  and  less  arduous,  until,  except  for  the 
necessity  of  living  on  native  food,  he  had  come  to  look 
upon  it  as  a  sort  of  picnic.  Most  of  the  dressings  and 
all  the  preliminary  examinations  of  new  cases  he  was 
able  to  leave  to  his  assistants.  Dr.  MacKay  had  gone 
to  visit  his  converts  at  various  places  where  bands 


SERGEANT  WHATISNAME  161 

of  freebooters,  taking  advantage  of  the  disturbed  state 
of  the  country,  had  thrown  themselves  upon  the  de- 
fenceless Christians,  robbing,  maltreating,  torturing, 
and  sometimes  putting  to  death.  But  he  left  behind 
his  student  companions,  whose  knowledge  of  dressing 
wounds  and  giving  simple  treatments  and  acting  the 
part  of  nurses,  relieved  the  surgeon  of  much  of  his 
burden. 

But  it  was  principally  on  Sergeant  Gorman  that  he 
had  learned  to  rely.  Every  day  revealed  some  new 
capability  in  that  versatile  Irishman.  It  was,  how- 
ever, in  drilling  and  instructing  an  ambulance  brigade 
that  his  capability  was  most  evident.  He  was  a  mas- 
ter of  the  art  of  teaching  men  any  form  of  military 
drill.  But  he  was  more  than  that.  He  was  a  born 
leader  of  men.  Sinclair  marvelled  at  the  rapidity 
with  which  these  uncouth,  chattering  Chinese  peas- 
ants, who  never  by  any  accident  had  kept  step  for  a 
dozen  paces,  and  who  never  ceased  their  jabbering  at 
any  command  given  by  their  own  officers,  were  reduced 
to  silence  and  mastered  squad  and  stretcher  drill. 
They  were  raw  material  to  begin  with.  Some  of  them 
were  worse.  The  Chinese  officers  had  drafted  into 
this  service  some  of  the  roughest  characters  in  their 
regiments,  to  be  rid  of  them.  Yet  these,  who  were 
accustomed  to  threaten  to  shoot  their  own  officers 
when  an  unwelcome  command  was  given,  gave  abso- 
lute and  prompt  obedience  to  this  red-headed  foreign 
devil,  whom  they  had  never  seen  till  a  few  days  be- 
fore, who  spoke  their  language  imperfectly,  and  car- 
ried no  weapon  save  a  bit  of  a  withe  he  had  cut  for 
a  swagger-stick. 

As  Sinclair  looked  on  he  could  not  help  but  won- 
der at  the  shortsightedness  and  snobbery  in  the  Brit- 


162  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

ish  army,  which  made  officers  of  callow  youths  who 
knew  nothing  of  war  or  leadership,  and  many  of 
whom  never  would,  and  refused  a  commission  to  a 
man  like  this,  whose  mastery  of  men  amounted  to 
genius. 

The  middle  of  the  month  had  passed.  It  was  draw- 
ing towards  sunset  of  a  hot  August  day.  The  two  men 
who  had  already  grown  into  a  fast  friendship  were  out 
where  the  courtyard  of  their  improvised  hospital 
opened  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  One  of  the  wings 
and  a  clump  of  bamboos  sheltered  them  from  the  still 
ardent  rays  of  the  sun.  The  evening  breeze  was  just 
beginning  to  breathe  along  the  river. 

Dr.  Sinclair  was  stretched  on  a  long,  bamboo  reclin- 
ing chair,  which  had  been  sent  him  from  the  head- 
quarters of  General  Liu  Ming-chuan.  His  hands  were 
clasped  behind  his  head.  He  was  looking  up  at  the 
sky,  where  an  occasional  fleck  of  cloud  was  changing 
from  white  to  gold  and  crimson  in  the  light  of  the 
sunset.  In  his  white  trousers,  white  canvas  shoes, 
white  negligee  shirt,  open  at  the  neck,  and  with  the 
shadow  of  a  smile  playing  about  his  eyes  and  mouth, 
he  looked  the  very  personification  of  whole-hearted 
content.  Sergeant  Gorman  was  sitting  opposite  to 
him  on  a  camp-chair  of  his  own  construction,  smoking 
a  short  dudeen. 

That  afternoon  General  Liu  Ming-chuan,  accom- 
panied by  his  staff,  had  paid  a  visit  of  inspection 
to  their  hospital.  With  a  frankness  and  candour 
which  could  not  be  misunderstood,  he  had  commended 
the  work  they  had  done,  and  on  his  own  behalf  and 
that  of  China  had  thanked  them  for  their  services. 
While  his  visit  and  appreciation  were  pleasant  to  them 
personally,   it   meant   more   than  that.      Henceforth 


SERGEANT  WHATISNAME  163 

there  was  to  be  no  more  of  the  open  opposition  they 
had  experienced  from  the  native  doctors  and  priests, 
and  even  from  some  of  the  officers.  It  was  no  won- 
der that  Sinclair  was  feehng  well  content. 

"  Do  you  know,  Gorman,  this  job  suits  me  fine.  If 
I  could  get  a  permanent  sit  at  something  like  this, 
with  enough  salary  to  live  decently,  I  think  I  could 
be  happy." 

''  An'  if  you  do,"  replied  Gorman,  dropping  back 
into  the  brogue  as  he  always  did  when  he  was  in 
good-humour,  whether  fighting  or  chatting  with  a 
friend — ''  an'  if  you  do,  wud  you  jist  kape  me  in 
moind  as  your  furst  assistant?" 

"  That  I  would,"  replied  Sinclair.  "  I  do  not  know 
how  I  should  get  along  without  you." 

"  Begorra,  an'  it's  glad  I  am  to  hear  you  say  so ; 
for  it's  more  p'ace  of  moind  I  have  here  than  iver  I've 
had  since  the  furst  toime  me  mother-in-law  came  to 
bliss  me  home  wid  her  prisince — since  she  furst  beamed 
upon  us  like  the  sun  thr'u'  a  gatherin'  storm." 

*'  The  only  thing  which  catches  me  here  is  the  grub. 
I  do  not  like  this  Chinese  chow." 

''  Faith  thin,  it  seems  to  like  you." 

"How's  that?" 

"  You're  gettin'  fat  on  it." 

"Do  you   really   think  so?" 

"  Bedad  and  I  don't  think  so.    Fm  sure  of  it." 

Sinclair  solicitously  tested  the  tightness  of  his  belt; 
lazily  raised  himself  and  examined  it  to  find  out  at 
what  hole  it  was  buckled. 

"  Afraid  you're  wrong  this  time,  Gorman.  Not 
getting  it  round  the  waist,  anyway.  Buckled  in  the 
same  hole  and  not  a  bit  tighter  than  before." 

"  Thin  you're  gettin'  it  round  the  jaws  of  you. 


164  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Cheeks  and  double  chin  loike  a  howly  father  starvin' 
in  Lent." 

"  Surely  it's  not  so  bad  as  that !  I'll  have  to  get 
more  exercise.  Nothing  like  training  to  keep  down 
flesh.  Run  four  or  five  miles  of  a  morning.  That's 
what  will  do  it." 

"  Bedad  thin,  if  that's  thrue,  that  American  gineral 
the  Chinese  have  must  have  run  all  the  way  from 
Ameriky.  Did  iver  you  clap  your  two  eyes  on  such 
a  split-the-wind  ?  " 

''  He  sure  is  thin,"  replied  Sinclair  in  the  idiom  of 
his  native  land.  "  As  we  used  to  say  in  Canada,  he'd 
be  handy  to  send  on  an  errand  down  a  pump." 

*'  Faith,"  replied  the  Irishman,  determined  not  to 
be  beaten  in  exaggeration,  "  the  pump  would  need  to 
have  a  good  valve  or  he'd  leak  out." 

"  You  have  it,"  laughed  Sinclair.    ''  I'll  quit." 

"  Now,  what  do  you  make  of  him,  anyway?" 

"  New  England  Yankee  by  his  twang.  Vermont  by 
his  build.  Been  in  the  South  by  his  pronunciation 
of  some  words.  But  when  he  swears  Montana  is 
written  all  over  him." 

"  Now,  if  that  isn't  divilish  cliver  of  you  to  spot 
him  loike  that !  Now,  isn't  it  ?  But  did  ever  you  hear 
such  a  name  ?  Silas  Z.  Leatherbottom !  Be  the  pow- 
ers, if  I  had  a  name  loike  that,  I'd  change  it  or  die 
in  the  attempt.     Silas  Z.  Leatherbottom !  " 

"  It  would  have  been  a  mighty  handy  name  to  have 
had  when  you  were  under  the  Wallopin'  Master,"  re- 
torted  Sinclair. 

'*  Whisht  now,  docther  dear.  It's  unfeelin'  of  you 
to  call  up  painful  memories.  May  the  saints  forgive 
me,  but  I  cannot  sit  comfortable  an'  think  of  him." 

Sinclair's  boyish,  care-free  laugh  rang  out  as  Gor- 


SERGEANT  WHATISNAME  165 

man  left  his  camp-stool  and  began  to  pace  restlessly 
up  and  down,  making  grimaces  and  gestures,  half 
vengeful,  half  humorous. 

"  Be  the  powers  of  Knocktopher,  but  it  wud  be 
a  pleasure  jist  to  be  twishtin'  this  bit  of  a  shtick  about 
the  big  body  of  him.  The  yells  of  him  wud  be  the 
sw'atest  music  in  me  ears,  barrin'  always  the  lament 
at  me  mother-in-law's  wake." 

"  Egskews  me,  gentlemen "  (with  a  marked  em- 
phasis on  the  "  me  ").  "  Egskews  me  for  intrewding 
on  yewr  private  deliberations.  But  I  had  a  leetle 
proposition  to  make  to  one  of  yew  gentlemen,  an'  I 
reckoned  thet  yew  wouldn't  object  to  me  droppin'  in 
on  yew  t'  talk  it  over." 

"  Certainly  not,  General  Leatherbottom,"  replied 
Sinclair,  rising  to  receive  him.  "We  are  delighted 
to  have  you  call.     Have  a  seat." 

Sergeant  Gorman  had  clapped  his  swagger-stick 
under  his  left  arm,  clicked  his  heels  together,  stood  at 
attention,  and  saluted  as  if  by  instinct. 

''  Naow,  by  the  Jumpin'  Jemina,  thet's  what  I  call 
neatly  done.  Thet's  whar  yew  Britishers  get  away 
on  us.  When  it  comes  to  fightin'  we  kin  fight.  Don't 
take  no  second  place  to  ennybody  I  ever  met,  an'  I've 
met  some  few  in  my  time.  But  when  it  comes  to 
takin'  Indians  or  niggers  or  Chinks  in  hand,  lickin' 
them  into  shape,  an'  teachin'  them  haow  to  fight  civi- 
lized thet's  whar  you've  got  us  beat  to  a  stand-still." 

He  was  a  tall  man,  a  very  tall  man,  two  or  three 
inches  over  six  feet.  But  he  was  narrow-shouldered, 
slab-sided,  and  marvellously  thin.  His  small  head 
seemed  lost  in  a  great  cavern  of  a  sun-helmet.  A  long, 
faded,  yellow  moustache  drooped  over  the  hollow 
cheeks  and  angular  jaws.     He  sat  down  on  the  prof- 


166  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

fered  camp-chair,  hitching  a  holster  containing  a  huge 
.44  Colt  round  a  little  more  to  one  side,  to  allow  him 
to  sit  back  with  comfort.  His  legs  were  so  long  that 
his  knees  stuck  up  at  an  acute  angle.  When  he  threw 
one  over  the  other,  they  were  so  thin  that  they  seemed 
to  twine  around  each  other  in  serpentine  fashion. 

He  accepted  a  pipe,  lighted  it,  leaned  forward  with 
one  sharp  elbow  on  a  sharp  knee,  the  hand  helping 
to  hold  the  pipe  in  his  mouth  as  he  talked.  The  other 
arm  was  across  his  knee  and  the  long,  bony  hand  hang- 
ing down. 

"  Ef  yew  gentlemen  will  egskews  me,  I'll  make  my 
proposition,  an'  we'll  perceed  to  bizness.  But  fust 
I'd  like  t'  give  yew  a  leetle  of  my  auttybiography,  so's 
yew'll  understand  the  sityewation." 

With  many  quaint  oaths  and  ingenious  expletives, 
he  told  how  he  had  served  as  a  private  in  a  Vermont 
infantry  regiment  in  the  Civil  War,  had  been  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner.  After  the  war  he  had  drifted 
into  the  cavalry  and  been  engaged  in  Indian  wars  in 
the  Dakotas  and  Montana.  He  was  with  Benteen's 
companies  when  Custer  and  his  three  hundred  were 
massacred  by  the  Sioux  under  Sitting  Bull  and  Crazy 
Horse.  Then  he  had  turned  miner,  and  after  much 
experience  in  the  Black  Hills,  as  well  as  in  Montana 
and  Idaho,  had  drifted  to  Formosa  and  had  been  en- 
gaged in  developing  gold  workings  but  a  little  distance 
from  where  they  sat  when  the  war  broke  out. 

"An'  naow,  gentlemen,  I'm  a  general  of  brigade  in 
the  service  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  of  China,  gettin' 
's  much  dust  in  a  month  's  I  could  in  a  year  of  minin'. 
An'  thet's  why  I  am  fur  the  time  bein'  a  dewtiful 
subject  of  His  Imperial  Bigness. 

''  Mebbe  yew'll  b'lieve  me,  I  hev  seen  sum  fightin'. 


SERGEANT  WHATISNAME  167 

An'  I  ain't  partiklar  ef  I  see  sum  more.  An'  I  hev 
idears  whar  t'  plant  an  army,  an'  haow  t'  plan  a  de- 
fence or  lay  a  trap.  But  this  bizness  of  drillin'  Chinks 
so's  they'll  walk  t'gether,  an'  shoot  t'gether,  and  dew 
what  they're  told  without  all  talkin'  at  once  like  the 
sisters  at  a  meetin'-house  sewin'-bee,  an'  all  gettin' 
tied  up  into  a  gol-durned  tarnation  tangle,  thet's  what 
knocks  the  spots  off  yewrs  trewly. 

"  Naow,  gentlemen,  my  proposition  is  thet  the  ser- 
geant here  jest  step  over  with  me  to  General  Liew, 
an'  take  service  with  him  till  the  end  of  the  war.  The 
general  was  mighty  pleased  with  thet  ar  ambulance 
corpse  of  yourn.  He'd  make  you  a  kurnel,  second  in 
command  of  a  brigade.  An'  the  spondoolix !  Lots  of 
it !  Got  it  to  burn !  More'n  a  candidate  for  congress 
at  election  time!  Money  don't  count  with  him,  no 
haow.  Ef  yew  lick  these  ar  Chinks  into  fightin' 
shape,  I'll  plan  the  campaign  an'  we'll  whale  those 
parley-voos  into  the  sea  in  no  time.  Then  we'll  get  a 
concession  an'  the  gold  mine.  Naow,  what  dew  yew 
think  of  thet?" 

''  That  sounds  pretty  good,  sergeant,"  said  Sinclair. 
"  It  looks  like  a  chance  for  you." 

''  Thet's  what  I  call  a  putty  payin'  proposition.  Will 
yew  take  it?  " 

''  Thank  you,  sir;  I  think  not." 

Leatherbottom  opened  his  small,  light-blue  eyes  as 
wide  as  the  cavernous  depths  of  their  sockets  would 
allow,  removed  the  pipe  from  his  mouth,  and  spat  far 
out  into  the  river: 

"  Naow,  will  yew  tell  me  haow  it  is  thet  yew  will 
not  take  on  a  payin'  proposition  like  thet?  Dew  yew 
forget  the  spondoolix  ?  " 

''  I  do  not,  sir." 


168  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Then,  will  yew  tell  me  why  ?  " 

"  I  have  fought  for  twenty-four  years  under  one 
flag.  There  is  only  one  other  that  I  would  fight 
under.'' 

*'*'  I  presyewme  thet  is  the  stars  and  stripes,  the  flag 
of  the  Yew.S.A.?" 

"  It  is  not,,  sir.*' 

'*'  Then,,  Vv-ill  yew  tell  me  what  flag  it  is?  "  asked  the 
general  in  evident  surprise. 

"  The  green  flag  with  the  golden  harp,  the  flag  of 
a  self-governing  Ireland!" 

"  But  there  ain't  no  army  'lowed  to  carry  sech  a 
flag." 

*''  Then,  till  there  is,  I'll  still  fight  under  the  old 
flag  and  the  old  queen  I  have  served  more  than  half 
my  life." 

'''An'  vew  air  an'  Irishman?" 

"Yes, 'sir." 

"  An'  a  Roman  Catholic?" 

''  I  am,  sir." 

-  Wall— I'll— be— gol—durned !  " 

Sergeant  Gorman's  moustache  and  eyebrows  fairly 
bristled.  The  little,  shrewd  blue  eyes  of  the  Indian 
fighter  were  quick  to  notice  it : 

"  Egskews  me,  sergeant;  I  ain't  meant  no  offence. 
'Twas  only  thet  I  had  been  informed  thet  the  Irish 
will  hev  a  Fourth-of-July  celebration  the  day  the 
Yewnion  Jack  gits  out  of  thet  ar  island  fur  good." 

"  Then  you  were  misinformed,  sir." 

"  Wall,  I  reckon  it's  a  case  of  live  an'  I'arn.  When 
I  was  t'  hum  I  thought  the  Yew.S.A.  were  putty  near 
the  hull  thing.  When  I  came  out  here  I  putty  soon 
found  out  they  warn't.  When  I  was  in  our  country, 
a-listenin'  to  the  politicians,  I  thought  every  Irishman 


SERGEANT  WHATISNAME  169 

was  jest  thirstin'  fur  the  blood  of  the  English.  I  came 
out  here  an'  naow  yew  tell  me  they  ain't.  Will  you 
egskews  me  ?    I  hev  sum  things  t'  I'arn  yet." 

''  Certainly,  sir.     We  all  make  mistakes." 

"  Thank  yew.  But  why  yew'd  refewse  t'  change 
yewr  flag  when  yew  knew  thet  the  spondoolix  was 
sure,  thet  beats  me.  Oh,  wall,  I  reckon  every  man 
has  his  own  way  of  lookin'  at  things.  Say,  doctor, 
whar's  the  elder?" 

"Do  you  mean  Dr.  MacKay?" 

"  Sartin." 

"  Oh,  he  left  several  days  ago  to  visit  some  of  his 
converts.  I  guess  the  heathen  have  been  roughing 
things  a  bit  and  making  it  hot  for  the  Christians.  He 
went  to  see  if  he  could  help  them  out." 

''Do  he  carry  weepons?" 

"  I  believe  not." 

"  Wall,  thet  beats  all.  I've  seen  some  putty  nervy 
things.  I've  seen  whar  Custer  an'  his  three  hundred 
rode  slap-bang  into  Sittin'  Bull  an'  his  red  devils  on 
the  Little  Big  Horn,  an'  got  skulped,  every  man  of 
them.  But  they  hed  guns  an'  hed  a  chance.  But  t'  go 
out  among  these  ar  yellow  heathen,  when  they're  ram- 
pagin'  fur  the  blood  of  furriners,  without  so  much  's 
even  a  .32  t'  put  the  fear  of  God  into  them,  thet's 
what  I  call  temptin'  Providence.  It's  givin'  Provi- 
dence a  chance  t'  let  them  dew  their  durndest  and  save 
itself  the  trubble  of  interferin'." 

The  sun  had  gone  down  and  the  moon  had  taken 
its  place,  riding  in  silver  radiance  across  the  cloud- 
less sky.  General  Leatherbottom  rose  to  go.  Sin- 
clair and  Gorman  accompanied  him  through  the  hos- 
pital to  the  street  door.  A  squad  of  the  sergeant's 
ambulance  corps,  who  were  on  guard,  presented  arms 


170  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

with  the  precision  and  unity  of  European  veterans. 

With  democratic  freedom  the  general  thrust  his 
long,  bony  hand  first  into  Sinclair's,  then  into  Gor- 
man's : 

*'  Never  seen  the  beat  of  thet  ambulance  corpse  of 
yourn,  fur  the  time  yew've  had  'em.  But,  by  the 
Jumpin'  Jemina,  I'd  like  to  hev  seen  yew  lickin'  the 
regiments  of  my  brigade  into  shape.'* 


XVII 

WOLVES  AND  THEIR  PREY 

THE  end  of  August  found  the  French  and 
Chinese  in  the  same  state  of  impasse.  As  a 
consequence  there  was  little  bloodshed,  and  few 
wounded  were  being  brought  into  the  hospital.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  the  shocking  carelessness  of  the 
Chinese  in  handling  firearms  and  explosives,  there 
would  have  been  almost  none.  Time  began  to  hang 
somewhat  heavy  on  the  hands  of  Dr.  Sinclair  and  his 
assistant. 

"  Getting  mighty  slow  here,"  he  remarked  to  Gor- 
man one  day. 

''  Slower  than  promotion  for  merit  in  the  service," 
was  the  reply. 

"  You  haven't  it  so  bad.  You  can  always  amuse 
yourself  drilling  *  that  ambulance  corpse  of  yourn,'  as 
General  Leatherbottom  calls  it." 

"  Divil  a  bit !  There's  nothin'  more  for  me  to  t'ache 
thim.  Tuk  till  it  loike  ducks  to  wather.  Can  imi- 
tate me  till  if  they  were  wanst  in  service  outfit  I'd 
swear  it  was  the  multiplication  table  of  meself 
a-marchin'  down  the  road." 

Sinclair  laughed. 

"That's  just  what  I've  been  noticing,"  he  said. 
"  When  you  took  hold  of  them  every  man  jack  toed 
in.  Now  they  all  turn  their  toes  out  at  a  little  more 
than  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  just  as  you  do. 
And  right  down  to  that  little  spindly  chap,  twenty-five 

171 


m  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

inches  around  the  hips,  they  all  strut  as  if  they  were 
as  broad  in  the  beam  as  yourself." 

"  Bedad  thin,  I'm  not  the  only  wan !  It's  the  same 
wid  your  bhoys  inside.  They're  jist  reduced  copies 
of  yourself.     They  bate  Banagher  for  imitation." 

"  Suppose  we  leave  those  fellows  to  look  after  things 
for  a  couple  of  days  and  run  over  to  Tamsui  while 
business  is  slack.  If  things  were  to  brighten  up  a 
bit  here,  we  might  not  get  another  chance." 

"  Faith,  an'  I'm  wid  you.  But,  begorra,  we  had  bet- 
ter see  to  it  that  each  of  us  has  a  bit  of  a  shtick  an' 
a  gun  handy.  I  hear  that  there  are  disthurbances 
iverywhere,  an'  it's  little  manners  the  haythen  are 
showin'  to  Europeans  since  the  Frinch  shtarted  to  mix 
it  up  wid  thim." 

"  The  last  time  he  passed,  Dr.  MacKay  told  me 
that  there  was  a  good  deal  of  rioting  and  some  mur- 
dering. But  he  seemed  to  go  about  his  work  as  if 
it  were  perfectly  safe.  And,  so  far  as  I  could  find 
out,  he  never  carries  any  weapons." 

*'  May  the  saints  preserve  him,  that  is  a  man !  I 
was  born  a  Roman  Catholic,  an'  I  intind  to  die  a  Ro- 
man Catholic.  But,  if  it  was  advice  about  me  sowl's 
salvation  I  was  wantin' — and  betune  you  an'  me  I'm 
needin'  it  badly  enough — it's  to  him  I'd  go  rather  than 
to  a  church  full  of  the  priests  that  are  feedin'  fat  on 
me  paternal  estate." 

Their  arrangements  were  soon  made,  and  they  were 
off.  Even  on  the  much-travelled  way  between  the  camp 
before  Keelung  and  the  capital  there  were  evidences 
of  disorder  and  lawlessness.  Bands  of  marauders 
were  out.  Many  of  them  were  well  armed,  as  they 
included  numbers  of  irregular  levies  who  had  deserted 
with  the  arms  and  ammunition  with  which  they  had 


WOLVES  AND  THEIR  PREY  173 

been  supplied  when  they  enlisted.  Wayfarers  had 
been  robbed,  and  some  who  resisted  had  been  mur- 
dered. Lonely  farmhouses  were  looted  and  burned. 
In  some  cases  the  men  were  killed  and  the  women 
foully  abused.  Some  considerable  towns  had  been 
attacked  and  terrorized  into  paying  tribute. 

But  it  was  on  the  native  Christians  that  the  heaviest 
blow  fell.  Nearly  everywhere  they  were  hounded 
down,  their  little  churches  were  destroyed,  their 
houses  were  ransacked,  their  goods  pillaged,  and 
themselves  cruelly  beaten  and  tortured.  Even  when 
they  succeeded  in  reaching  hiding-places,  they  were 
often  betrayed  by  their  own  relatives  and  given  over 
to  the  inhuman  cruelties  of  the  heathen. 

So  serious  was  the  danger  that  the  consul  issued 
a  warning  to  his  nationals  and  those  of  other  nations 
for  whom  he  acted  not  to  venture  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  port,  where  they  could  be  under  the  protection 
of  the  gunboat,  as  well  as  of  the  Chinese  garrison.  At 
that  moment  Dr.  MacKay,  Sinclair,  and  Gorman  were 
the  only  white  men  who  were  outside  of  the  protection 
of  large  forces  of  disciplined  soldiers. 

Several  times  on  their  way  Sinclair  and  his  com- 
panion were  faced  by  armed  men.  But  they  moved 
resolutely  forward.  As  the  marauders  opened  up  to 
let  them  pass  Sinclair  caught  the  word  "  I-seng  "  (the 
life-healer),  while  Gorman  laughed  to  hear  himself 
described  as  "  Ang-mfig-kui "  (the  red-haired  devil). 
Their  reputations  had  preceded  them  and  stood  them 
in  good  stead. 

Elsewhere  tragedies  were  being  enacted.  Five  or 
six  miles  south  of  the  road  which  they  were  travel- 
ling, nestling  in  among  the  foothills  of  the  great 
mountain-chain  which  occupied  all  the  centre  of  the 


174  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

island,  was  the  prosperous  town  of  Sin-tlam.  There 
the  missionary  had  gathered  together  a  congregation 
of  worshippers  and  built  a  church  of  unplastered 
stone. 

With  the  eye  for  beauty  in  nature  which  charac- 
terized him,  he  had  chosen  a  site  at  one  end  of  the 
town,  where  a  little  dell  smiled  between  some  ver- 
dured  hills  and  the  river.  In  front  of  the  church 
door  lay  a  beach  of  shingle,  round  which  curved  the 
swift,  clear  green  waters  of  the  Sin-tiam  River.  Its 
farther  bank  rose  steeply  from  the  water's  edge,  a  hill- 
side luxuriant  with  trees  and  vines,  ferns  and  grasses, 
their  vivid  green  all  starred  with  roses  and  morning- 
glories,  or  the  massed  beauties  of  myrtle-trees  and 
honeysuckle.  Behind  the  first  abrupt  hill  rose  higher 
hills,  and  beyond  these  mountains,  in  whose  impene- 
trable jungles  and  savage  retreats  the  wild  head- 
hunters  had  their  home.  Behind  these  again  giant 
peaks  towered  into  the  heavens. 

Into  this  paradise  of  beauty,  bloodthirsty,  heathen 
men  burst  and  their  rage  turned  it  into  a  perdition. 
Early  one  fair  summer  morning  the  black  flags  of  a 
party  of  marauders  were  seen  approaching  the  town. 
The  respectable  citizens,  whether  heathen  or  Chris- 
tian, hurriedly  closed  and  barricaded  their  shops  and 
houses.  The  worst  element  of  the  population  rushed 
out  to  join  the  freebooters. 

Like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves  they  entered  the 
town  on  the  run,  yelling,  screaming,  beating  drums, 
blowing  horns,  firing  their  guns.  It  was  evident  that 
they  had  a  concerted  plan,  for  they  did  not  halt,  but 
with  yelp  and  yell  and  animal  snarl  they  swept 
through  to  the  far  end,  where  the  Christian  church 
was  situated.     They  poured  into  the  native  preach- 


WOLVES  AND  THEIR  PREY  175 

er's  house,  which  adjoined  the  church.  It  was  deserted. 
At  the  first  alarm  some  of  the  Christians  had  rushed 
to  the  church,  and  hurried  their  pastor  and  his  fam- 
ily by  a  circuitous  route  to  a  safe  hiding-place.  They 
knew  that  he  would  be  the  first  victim.  They  hoped 
that  their  own  obscurity  would  be  their  protec- 
tion. 

After  a  vain  search  for  the  preacher,  the  black-flags 
returned  to  loot  his  house  and  destroy  everything  they 
could  not  carry  away.  Then  they  began  to  search 
for  other  victims.  Unfortunately  in  their  haste  the 
pastor  and  his  friends  had  forgotten  the  roll  of  church 
members,  which  was  in  the  drawer  of  the  desk  on  the 
church  platform.  It  was  the  death  warrant  of  some 
of  the  flock. 

With  yells  of  savage  delight  the  persecutors  tore 
it  open  and  began  to  read  out  the  names : 

"Lee  Soon!" 

He  was  a  tolerably  well-to-do  merchant.  At  the 
mention  of  his  name  the  mob  scented  plunder,  and 
the  most  active  fairly  fought  with  one  another  in 
the  rush  to  be  foremost  for  the  spoil.  Lee  Soon 
had  sent  his  wife  and  daughter  to  a  hiding-place  in 
a  forsaken  mine  in  the  neighbourhood.  With  his 
young  son  he  remained  to  take  care  of  his  property. 
On  the  first  assault  of  the  mob  he  tried  to  parley  with 
them  and  offered  them  gifts  if  they  would  leave  him 
unmolested. 

''  Do  you  think  that  we  would  take  part  when  we 
intend  to  get  all?"  was  the  jeering  reply. 

"  We'll  have  no  parley  with  friends  of  the  foreign 
devils,"  yelled  others. 

All  the  while  a  rain  of  bricks  and  stones  fell  on 
the  barricades  he  had  hastily  put  up.    Others  climbed 


176  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

on  the  roof  and  tore  off  the  tiles.  In  a  short  time 
a  breach  was  made  and  they  rushed  in.  Lee  Soon  was 
seized  by  the  hair  and  dragged  out  over  the  piles  of 
bricks  and  rubbish.  Every  one  who  could  get  a  kick 
at  him,  a  blow  with  a  bamboo  pole  or  the  butt  of  a 
gun,  gave  it  with  insensate  fury.  At  last  he  lay  bleed- 
ing and  unconscious  in  the  midst  of  the  street.  But 
the  mob  still  trampled  upon  him. 

"Now  will  you  go  into  the  barbarian's  religion?" 
cried  one. 

"  Where  is  your  God  now  ?  "  shrieked  another. 

Meanwhile  others  were  stripping  the  house  and  shop 
of  its  contents.  Others  still  were  searching  high  and 
low  for  the  women  of  the  household.  Enraged  at 
not  finding  them,  they  dragged  out  his  son,  Lee  len, 
a  mere  youth,  kicl^ing  and  beating  him  as  they  had 
done  his  father. 

"  He  has  given  his  sisters  to  the  foreign  devils." 

"  Might  as  well  give  them  to  the  beasts,  for  the 
foreign  devils  are  the  offspring  of  beasts." 

"  We'll  teach  him  to  give  the  women  of  our  coun- 
try to  foreign  devils." 

Dragging  the  unfortunate  youth  to  a  tree,  they 
threw  the  end  of  his  long  braid  of  hair  over  a  branch 
and  pulled  until  he  was  lifted  off  the  ground.  Then 
they  spit  on  him,  jeered  him,  and  prodded  him  with 
their  poles,  making  his  body  swing  to  and  fro. 

"  Now  will  you  forsake  this  Jesus  faith  and  go  back 
to  the  gods  of  your  ancestors?" 

Around  his  neck  and  from  various  parts  of  the  torn 
scalp  blood  was  oozing  and  trickling  down.  The 
body  writhed  in  agony.  The  youth,  really  only  a 
boy  in  years,  was  alone,  ringed  round  by  foes.  From 
the  drawn,  quivering  lips  came  the  prayer: 


WOLVES  AND  THEIR  PREY  177 

"  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  help  me !  Jehovah  God,  give 
me  strength !  " 

A  wild  yell  arose  from  another  part  of  the  town. 
More  victims  had  been  found.  There  was  more  loot. 
Those  who  had  been  torturing  Lee  len  were  anxious 
to  get  a  share.  They  released  their  hold  on  his  hair 
and  rushed  off  with  the  others.  He  fell  in  a  limp 
heap  on  the  ground. 

With  the  physical  toughness  of  his  race,  he  soon 
recovered  and  hurried  to  where  he  had  last  seen  his 
father.  He  found  that  a  heathen  neighbour,  more 
pitiful  than  the  rest,  had  carried  him  into  a  place  of 
safety  and  had  brought  him  back  to  consciousness. 

Tan  Siong  had  escaped,  but  came  back  to  help  some 
of  his  fellow-believers.  He  accomplished  this  and 
effected  their  escape.  But  it  was  by  sacrificing  him- 
self. He  was  caught,  and  being  a  man  of  some  promi- 
nence special  tortures  were  devised.  Sharp-edged 
splits  of  bamboo  were  placed  between  the  fingers  of 
both  hands.  Cords  were  wound  tightly  around  the 
fingers,  pressing  the  angles  of  the  bamboo  into  the 
flesh. 

"  Will  you  forsake  the  black-bearded  foreign 
devil?" 

"  Pastor  MacKay  has  never  done  me  anything  but 
good.  He  healed  me  when  I  was  sick.  He  saved  my 
son's  life  when  he  had  the  fever.  Why  should  I  for- 
sake him?" 

The  cords  were  drawn  more  tightly.  The  blood 
oozed  out  around  his  nails  and  along  the  edges  of  the 
bamboo. 

"  Will  you  give  up  the  barbarian's  religion  and  go 
back  to  the  gods  cur  ancestors  worshipped  from  of 
old?" 


178  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  The  gods  our  ancestors  worshipped  are  only  idols. 
They  cannot  see  or  hear  or  understand  our  prayers. 
I  cannot  go  back  to  them.  I  believe  in  Jehovah  God, 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth " 

A  rifle  butt  fell  with  a  sickening  thud  on  his  head 
and,  with  the  blood  still  oozing  from  his  finger-tips. 
Tan  Siong  lay  senseless  on  the  earth.  His  tormentors 
rushed  off  to  find  other  victims  to  rob  and  maltreat. 

So  the  morning  wore  away.  There  were  about 
forty  families  of  Christians.  Probably  the  majority 
of  the  individuals  in  them  escaped  with  their  lives, 
and  by  keeping  in  hiding  did  not  suffer  torture.  But 
all  lost  their  possessions.  Many  were  put  to  the  test 
of  indescribable  physical  agony.  Yet  they  did  not 
deny  their  faith. 

There  were  two,  a  man  and  his  wife,  so  humble 
that  they  thought  they  might  be  overlooked.  They 
could  not  flee.  They  were  both  between  sixty  and 
seventy  years  of  age.  The  wife's  feet,  crushed  and 
broken  by  being  bound  for  a  lifetime,  would  not  bear 
her  in  flight.  Her  husband,  with  a  devotion  rare 
in  a  Chinese  and  the  more  beautiful  because  of  its 
rarity,  determined  to  stay  with  her  and  meet  his  fate, 
whatever  it  might  be.  They  hoped  that  their  insig- 
nificance might  save  them. 

But  Lim  Tsu  had  for  many  years  been  a  maker  of 
idols.  Then  he  had  lost  faith  in  those  gilded  bits  of 
wood  or  plaster  he  had  so  long  offered  to  others  to 
worship.  He  had  heard  strange  words  from  some 
native  Christians.  Then  he  had  heard  them  from  the 
lips  of  the  foreign  pastor.  After  long  hesitation  he 
gave  up  the  beliefs  of  his  fathers,  gave  up  the  prac- 
tices of  a  lifetime,  what  was  harder  still,  gave  up  the 
means   of  a  livelihood,   and   accepted   the   Christian 


WOLVES  AND  THEIR  PREY  179 

faith.  From  that  hour  Lim  Tsu  was  a  marked  man. 
He  was  the  worst  of  renegades. 

His  name  and  that  of  his  wife,  Oo-a,  were  nearly 
the  last  upon  the  communion  roll,  for  they  had  been 
but  recently  received.  When  they  were  read  out  a 
howl  like  that  of  a  pack  of  wild  beasts  went  up  from 
the  mob,  and  with  one  consent  they  flocked  pell-mell 
towards  the  humble  cottage  of  the  former  image- 
maker.  He  heard  them  coming,  and  with  his  aged 
wife  met  them  outside  the  door.  Was  it  something 
in  the  calm  demeanour  of  the  old  couple,  standing 
quietly  there  with  the  summer  sun  shining  on  their 
whitening  heads,  which  awed  them  ?  The  ones  in  front 
paused,  irresolute.  Those  behind  pressed  them  for- 
ward. 

"  Friends,  whom  do  you  seek  ?  " 

"  Lim  Tsu,  the  idol-maker." 

"  Lim  Tsu,  the  idol-maker,  is  not  here.  But  Lim 
Tsu,  the  worshipper  of  the  living  God,  is  here. 
Friends,  I  am  Lim  Tsu." 

The  leaders  of  the  mob  quailed  before  the  quiet 
dignity  of  the  old  man.  But  the  crowd  behind 
pressed  them  on.  They  held  a  hurried  consultation 
while  the  old  Christian  and  his  wife  stood  quietly 
waiting. 

They  were  seized  by  the  arms  and  led  towards  the 
river.  The  spot  chosen  was  the  beach  of  clean  shingle 
in  front  of  the  church.  Unlike  the  other  prisoners 
who  had  been  taken  that  day,  they  were  not  beaten. 
But  the  feeble  old  woman  hobbled  painfully  over  the 
stones.     Her  husband  encouraged  her: 

''  If  they  drown  us,  it  will  not  take  long.  Just  a 
moment  and  it  will  all  be  over.  Then  we'll  not  be 
old  any  more.    Your  feet  will  not  pain  you  any  longer. 


180  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

I'll  not  have  the  fever.  We'll  not  have  to  worry  about 
getting  rice  to  eat.  Just  a  moment  and  all  these 
things  will  be  forgotten.  In  heaven  there  is  no  suf- 
fering." 

As  their  feet  touched  the  edge  of  the  water  they 
were  halted.    One  of  the  leaders  said  to  them : 

"Lim  Tsu,  you  used  to  make  images  of  the  gods. 
You  used  to  worship  the  spirits  of  your  ancestors. 
You  used  to  perform  the  rites  as  our  fathers  have 
done  since  ages  eternal.  But  now  in  your  old  age 
you  have  been  bewitched  by  the  foreign  devils  and 
joined  the  Jesus  belief.  If  you  leave  the  barbarian's 
religion  and  go  back  to  the  faith  of  your  fathers, 
it  will  be  well.  You  will  be  safe  and  men  will  honour 
you.    If  you  do  not,  we  will  drown  you  both." 

"  Friends,"  came  the  quiet,  firm  reply,  "  I  do  not 
believe  in  idols.  I  made  them  for  many  years.  I 
know  that  they  are  only  wood  or  stone  or  earth  or 
plaster.  I  know  that  I  can  knock  them  down  and 
break  them,  or  throw  them  into  the  fire  and  burn 
them.  How  could  they  help  me?  Now  I  worship 
the  true  God,  who  made  the  earth  and  the  sea  and 
the  sky,  who  made  us  all,  for  we  are  His  children. 
And  I  worship  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son,  whom  He  sent 
into  the  world  to  save  me.  You  may  drown  us  if  you 
will.    But  we  will  not  give  up  the  Jesus  belief." 

Yells  of  rage  burst  from  their  persecutors.  They 
were  pushed  forward  into  the  water  up  to  their  knees. 
Again  the  offer  was  made,  and  again  refused. 

Execrations,  foul  language,  inarticulate  screams  of 
rage  rose  from  the  throng  on  the  bank.  The  old  cou- 
ple were  pushed  farther  into  the  stream.  The  water 
had  risen  to  the  old  man's  arm-pits.  It  was  up  to 
the  woman's  throat.     Again  they  were  halted. 


WOLVES  AND  THEIR  PREY  181 

"  Lim  Tsu  and  Oo-a,  his  wife,  will  yon  give  up  the 
Jesus  belief?    If  not,  we  will  drown  you." 

The  old  woman's  thin  treble  rose  in  answer : 

"  I  cannot  give  up  the  Jesus  belief.  Jesus  is  my 
Saviour." 

"  You  may  drown  us  if  you  will,"  answered  her  hus- 
band. "  That  will  not  hurt  us  much.  It  will  soon 
be  over.    But  we  can  never  deny  the  Lord  Jesus." 

For  a  few  moments  the  mob-leaders  paused.  They 
were  plainly  nonplussed  by  such  constancy.  Even  the 
rabble  on  the  bank  hushed  their  howling. 

Oo-a's  grey  head  swam  on  the  surface  of  the  clear 
green  stream.  She  turned  her  face  upward.  Before 
her  were  the  steep  green  hills,  thick  with  trees  and 
ferns  and  grasses,  and  all  starred  with  flowers,  on 
which  she  had  looked  since  her  childhood.  A  bird 
sang  in  the  thicket.  The  cicadas  shrilled  ceaselessly 
in  the  hot  sunshine.  All  the  world  was  at  peace.  Why 
was  man  so  cruel?  She  lifted  her  eyes  to  the  blue 
sky  which  bent  over  her.  Her  thin  tremulous  voice 
was  heard  in  prayer: 

"  Pe  Siong-te."  *— "  Father  God,  help  a  weak  old 
woman.  Make  her  strong  to  confess  her  Lord.  For 
Jesus'  sake." 

Then  the  old  man  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  she  joined 
him  in  that  immortal  prayer  which  ever  circles  the 
world  around  and  runs  through  all  time: 

"  Goan  e  Pe  ti  thi  nih."  t— "  Our  Father,  who  art 
in  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy  name,  Thy  Kingdom 
come.  Thy  will  be  done " 

Their  voices  were  silenced  by  the  waters.  Their 
captors  had  plunged  them  under  and  held  them  there. 

*  Pronounced,  Pay  Seeong-tay. 

t  Pronounced,  Go-an  a  Pay  tee  thee  neeh. 


182  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

The  fair  flowers  still  bloomed  on  the  high  bank.  The 
birds  sang  on.  The  cicadas  shrilled  their  monotonous 
melody.  The  sun  poured  down  its  wealth  and  bounty 
on  the  evil  and  on  the  good.  Only  a  few  bubbles 
rising  to  the  surface  told  where  the  souls  of  the  two 
martyrs  had  been  set  free  to  go  home  to  God. 

Just  plain,  ignorant  old  Chinese  peasants!  Alone 
amidst  their  enemies,  all  unknown  and  unknowing,  un- 
supported by  and  unthinking  of  the  world's  applause ! 
Yet  without  a  murmur  they  died  for  their  faith. 
Even  an  Apostle  Paul  could  do  no  more. 


XVIII 
TO  THE  RESCUE 

TWO  days  later  Dr.  Sinclair  and  Sergeant  Gor- 
man were  nearing  the  capital  on  their  way 
from  Keelung  to  Tamsui.  Sometimes  they 
talked  and  laughed.  Sometimes  they  walked  in  si- 
lence, one  following  the  other  along  the  narrow  trail, 
each  busy  with  his  own  thoughts.  Sinclair  was  think- 
ing of  a  perplexing,  teasing  young  woman  of  queenly 
stature  and  bearing,  with  eyes  and  mouth  which 
haunted  him  in  spite  of  his  determination  to  persuade 
himself  that  he  was  unconcerned.  He  knew  that  she 
was  still  in  Tamsui.  McLeod  had  sent  him  a  note 
the  last  time  the  Hailoong  was  in  port.  Mr.  Mac- 
Allister  had  made  trips  to  various  ports  on  the  main- 
land, and  to  South  Formosa.  But  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter remained  at  Tamsui  in  the  congenial  company 
and  care  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beauchamp. 

Sinclair  wondered  to  himself  in  what  humour  he 
would  find  this  wayward  maiden  who  had  so  suddenly 
been  projected  into  his  life,  and  now  occupied  so 
large  a  place  in  his  thoughts.  Why  was  she  so  capri- 
cious with  him?  She  was  not  like  that  with  others. 
With  Captain  Whiteley  or  McLeod  or  Mr.  Beauchamp 
she  was  amiability  itself.  Apparently  she  treated 
Carteret  quite  differently  from  him.  Even  with  him- 
self there  had  been  moments  when  she  had  been  cor- 
dial and  kind.  In  those  brief  spells  of  friendliness 
she  was  irresistibly  fascinating. 

183 


184?  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

But  most  of  the  time  she  seemed  to  bend  all  her 
energies  to  making  him  feel  uncomfortable.  Why  did 
she  do  it?  Was  it  possible  that  McLeod  was  right? 
Or  was  it  that  his  approaches  were  disagreeable  to 
her  and  she  was  trying  to  make  him  keep  his  distance  ? 
That  was  much  more  likely.  But  he  would  find  out. 
He  was  not  going  to  make  a  fool  of  himself  by  push- 
ing himself*  in  where  he  was  not  wanted.  He  closed 
his  teeth  firmly.  His  lower  jaw  was  set  and  stern. 
He  would  find  out  this  time.  He  would  either  make 
or  mend  it. 

But  he  did  not. 

He  had  hardly  made  the  aforementioned  resolu- 
tion when  it  and  even  the  object  of  his  thoughts  were 
driven  out  of  his  mind  altogether.  From  a  high  bank 
beside  the  road,  covered  with  a  thicket  of  bamboo, 
a  native  boy  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  dropped  into 
the  middle  of  the  pathway  at  Sinclair's  feet.  His  face 
was  drawn  with  fear.  His  eyes  had  a  strained, 
hunted  look.  Without  any  of  the  customary  saluta- 
tions, he  poured  forth  a  stream  of  nervous,  fluent 
Chinese,  in  which  Sinclair  could  catch  nothing  but  his 
own  title  of  **  I-seng  "  and  "  Kai  Bok-su  "  (Pastor 
MacKay). 

"  Here,  Gorman,  can  you  make  anything  out  of 
what  he  says  ?  There  is  evidently  trouble  somewhere, 
and  Dr.  MacKay  is  in  it." 

*'  Hould  on,  boy !  Go  aisy !  Fwhat  the  divil  wud 
you  expect  a  Christian  man  to  make  out  of  such  a 
jabber  as  that?  " 

Then  in  Chinese: 

"  You  talk  too  fast.  Speak  slowly.  Don't  be 
afraid.  H  there  is  any  trouble,  we'll  help  you 
out." 


TO  THE  RESCUE  185 

Getting  a  grip  of  himself,  the  excited  boy  told  them 
that  he  was  the  son  of  one  of  the  Christians  of  Sin- 
tiam.  He  related  the  events  of  two  days  before.  He 
said  that  Dr,  MacKay  had  heard  of  what  had  taken 
place  and,  in  spite  of  the  pleadings  of  his  converts, 
had  insisted  on  going  to  the  help  of  those  who  were 
still  in  danger.  He  was  already  there,  and  if  the 
black-flags  caught  him  they  would  assuredly  kill  him. 
He,  the  boy,  had  been  sent  out  to  look  for  some 
Chinese  troops,  but  had  found  them  instead.  Would 
they  come  to  Pastor  MacKay's  rescue? 

''  Begorra,  an'  that  we  will !  "  exclaimed  Gorman, 
as  he  gave  his  heavy  stick  a  couple  of  fancy  twirls 
around  his  head,  felt  for  his  revolver  to  assure  him- 
self that  it  was  there,  and  plunged  into  the  carrier 
coolie's  basket  to  get  more  cartridges. 

"  Tell  the  coolie  to  go  on  to  Taipeh  and  wait  for 
us  there.  Tell  this  boy  to  guide  us  to  Sin-tiam  by 
the  shortest  route.  He  needn't  try  to  hide  us.  We 
don't  care  if  those  devils  do  see  us." 

Sinclair  spoke  in  sharp,  incisive  tones.  Instinct- 
ively the  sergeant  came  to  attention  and  saluted.  It 
was  the  accent  of  command. 

In  another  moment  they  had  left  the  main  road, 
which  they  had  been  following,  plunged  through  the 
bamboos,  and  headed  directly  south.  Soon  their  guide 
picked  up  a  blind  pathway  which  zigzagged  through 
a  labyrinth  of  rice-fields,  dropped  into  shady  ravines, 
or  climbed  a  projecting  spur  of  rock.  The  afternoon 
sun  blazed  down  upon  them.  But  with  relentless 
energy  they  pressed  on.  Peasants  working  in  their 
fields  uttered  loud  cries  of  wonder,  not  unmixed 
with  alarm,  as  the  two  foreigners  strode  silently, 
determinedly    past.     The    native    boy    never    ceased 


186  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

from  his  steady  run.  The  long,  powerful  strides 
of  the  two  whites  pressed  continually  on  his 
heels. 

The  day  was  wearing  on  as  they  drew  near  their 
destination.  The  by-path  they  were  following  did 
not  join  the  main  road  entering  the  town,  but  led 
over  some  wooded  hills  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the 
principal  highway.  While  still  unable  to  see  the  town, 
they  heard  wild  yells  and  occasional  shots.  Their 
rapid  walk  quickened  into  a  run. 

As  they  came  over  the  last  bluff,  through  an  open- 
ing in  the  shrubbery  they  could  see  the  end  of  the 
town  where  the  main  road  entered  it.  Just  emerging 
from  between  the  houses  was  a  man  dressed  in  white 
and  wearing  a  sun-helmet.  It  was  MacKay.  He  was 
walking  steadily,  resolutely  out  along  the  road  which 
led  towards  the  capital.  Behind  him,  in  close  but  ir- 
regular order,  was  a  band  of  natives — men,  women, 
and  children.  Among  them  were  a  few  sedan  chairs, 
evidently  carrying  aged  and  wounded.  Pressing  upon 
their  rear,  crowding  upon  them  on  either  side,  threat- 
ening to  block  the  road  in  front,  was  a  screaming, 
jeering,  cursing  mob.  Black  flags  were  waving  over 
their  heads ;  guns  were  discharged ;  mud  and  filth  were 
thrown;  howls  like  those  of  beasts  of  prey  burst  from 
them  in  chorus. 

The  situation  was  obvious.  MacKay  had  appealed 
to  the  Chinese  authorities  at  the  capital  to  protect 
the  Christians.  They  had  replied  that  they  could  not 
protect  them  in  outlying  districts  like  Sin-tiam,  but 
would  protect  them  if  they  came  to  the  capital,  where 
there  was  a  garrison.  He  was  endeavouring  to  bring 
the  survivors  to  where  their  lives  would  be  safe.  They 
had  lost   their  homes,   their  property,  their  church. 


TO  THE  RESCUE  187 

They  had  only  their  Hves  left.  He  was  trying  to  save 
these. 

But  the  mob  were  determined  that  they  should  not 
escape.  They  crowded  closer  and  closer  on  the  native 
Christians,  but  still  opened  up  before  the  missionary. 
His  cool,  resolute  demeanour,  the  instinctive  recogni- 
tion of  unruffled  courage  and  conscious  superiority 
made  them  give  way.  As  the  little  band  passed  out 
of  the  town  they  began  to  fear  that  their  prey  was 
going  to  give  them  the  slip.  Bricks  and  stones  were 
flung.  Jostling  passed  into  interchange  of  blows. 
Shouts  of  "Kill  the  barbarian.  He  is  not  very  big. 
Tear  the  foreign  devil  in  pieces  "  mingled  with  in- 
articulate yells  of   rage. 

Suddenly  with  a  surge  from  behind  the  mob  flung 
themselves  like  wolves  on  their  prey.  The  Christian 
maidens,  always  the  first  victims,  were  being  dragged 
away,  their  terror-stricken  shrieks  mingling  with  the 
fiendish  yells  of  their  captors,  Sedan  chairs  were 
overturned.  Men  and  women  were  beaten  down.  The 
hopelessly  outnumbered  Christians  were  fighting  des- 
perately for  their  lives. 

At  the  first  sound  of  the  onslaught,  MacKay  turned 
back.  He  would  save  his  people  or  share  their  fate. 
The  muzzle  of  a  rifle  was  jabbed  against  his  chest. 
Like  a  flash  he  thrust  it  up  with  his  left  hand  and 
it  was  discharged  harmlessly  past  his  ear. 

It  was  the  last  time  that  Chinese  freebooter  ever 
pulled  a  trigger.  Simultaneously  with  the  explosion 
of  the  rifle  Sinclair's  stick  came  down  on  his  head 
and  cracked  his  skull  like  an  eggshell. 

The  same  instant,  with  a  wild  ''  Hurroosh !  "  Gor- 
man was  into  the  melee.  MacKay's  Highland  blood 
was  up,  too.    Alongside  of  his  bigger  and  heavier  com- 


188  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

panions  he  was  proving  that  his  slight,  sinewy  frame 
had  not  for  nothing  gone  through  more  than  a  dozen 
years  of  strenuous  training  in  that  tropic  cHme. 

For  a  few  minutes  it  was  rough-and-tumble  fight- 
ing, with  foot  and  fist  and  shillelagh.  Friends  and 
foes  were  so  mixed  together  that  Sinclair  and  Gor- 
man were  afraid  to  use  their  revolvers.  But  the 
terror  those  big,  fiercely-fighting  foreigners  inspire 
in  the  hearts  of  a  Chinese  mob  fell  on  the  rioters. 
They  loosed  their  holds  on  their  prey  and  fled  in  wild 
disorder,  hurried  by  the  barking  of  the  two  revolvers 
and  the  fall  of  some  in  whom  the  bullets  had  found 
their  mark. 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  Sinclair;  Sergeant  Gorman.  You 
have  done  me,  and  you  have  done  my  poor  people,  a 
great  service." 

"  It  seems  that  we  did  happen  to  come  at  the  right 
time,"  replied  Sinclair. 

"  You  didn't  happen.    God  sent  you." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  the  right  way  to  put  it,  Dr.  Mac- 
Kay.  At  any  rate,  we  are  glad  to  have  been  here. 
Now  we  must  look  at  those  people.  I  am  afraid  that 
some  of  them  are  pretty  badly  hurt." 

All  three  turned  their  attention  to  caring  for  the 
sufferers  and  to  making  them  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  When  they  reached  the  capital  Sinclair 
found  it  necessary  to  remain  there  several  days  to 
care  for  some  who  were  most  seriously  injured. 

Before  he  felt  free  to  leave  them  to  make  his  in- 
tended trip  to  Tamsui  word  came  that  there  had  been 
some  sharp  skirmishes  around  Keelung  and  a  con- 
siderable number  had  been  wounded.  So  he  and  Gor- 
man turned  back  to  duty. 

This  was  the  reason  why  he  did  not  at  that  time 


TO  THE  RESCUE  189 

succeed  in  making  or  mending  his  relations  with  Miss 
MacAUister.  Perhaps  it  was  better  for  him  that  it 
was  so.  His  exploit  in  coming  to  the  rescue  of  Mac- 
Kay  was  likely  to  stand  him  in  better  stead  than  a 
premature  demand  for  explanations. 

But  Sinclair  did  not  know  that.  He  was  not  versed 
in  the  ways  of  women.  Like  most  men  in  love,  if 
he  had  been  allowed  his  own  way,  he  would  have  made 
a  mess  of  it.  When  Providence  came  to  his  rescue 
and  sent  him  back  to  Keelung  without  seeing  Miss 
MacAUister,  he  was  inclined  to  fall  out  with  Provi- 
dence. 

But  his  sense  of  duty  and  his  habitual  good-humour 
prevailed.  And  when  he  saw  again  the  strained,  eager 
looks  of  the  wounded  men,  saw  hope  come  into  their 
faces  as  the  word  passed  from  lip  to  lip,  "  I-seng  lai  " 
(the  life-healer  has  come),  he  was  glad  that  he  had 
done  his  duty.    He  was  at  his  chosen  work. 


XIX 
ALLISTER 

ON  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  September,  Sin- 
clair, looking  down  from  a  mountain  height 
on  the  town  and  harbour  of  Keelung,  saw  one 
of  the  warships  get  up  steam  and  put  out  to  sea. 
Watching  it  with  his  glasses,  he  saw  it  heading  north, 
and  then  west,  till  even  the  trailing  smoke  disappeared 
beyond  the  far  blue  coast  line  which  curved  away  to- 
w^ards  the  northernmost  point  of  the  island. 

*'  I'd  give  something  to  know  where  that  French- 
man is  heading  for  and  what  mischief  he  has  in 
mind." 

"  Bedad,  an'  if  he  doesn't  do  more  than  he's  been 
doin'  here  these  last  six  weeks,  he'd  better  give  up 
the  job." 

''  That's  just  the  reason  why  I  think  that  he  may 
be  intending  to  try  his  hand  somewhere  else.  He 
can't  do  any  more  damage  here  without  a  land  force. 
But  there  are  other  places  where  he  could — Tamsui, 
for  example." 

''  Begorra,  an'  if  I  thought  there  was  goin'  to  be  a 
shindy  there,  it's  not  one  minute  longer  I'd  spind 
kickin'  me  heels  around  this  ould  dead-an'-alive  camp. 
I'd  be  makin'  for  Tamsui  as  fast  as  the  two  legs 
of  me  cud  carry  me." 

''  So  would  I.  But  there  doesn't  seem  to  be  any 
movement  among  the  rest  of  the  fleet.  We'll  just 
keep  a  sharp  lookout  and  perhaps  we'll  get  some  word 
from  Tamsui.     If  there's  anything  doing  there,  I'm 

190 


ALLISTER  191 

blamed  if  I  am  going  to  be  stewed  up  here  and  miss 
the  fun." 

Two  days  later  Sinclair  was  again  at  his  lookout. 
From  the  departure  of  that  first  French  warship  which 
had  steamed  away  to  the  west,  either  he  or  Gorman 
had  kept  a  constant  watch  on  the  movements  of  the 
French  fleet.  Perhaps  it  was  all  because  of  his  anxi- 
ety to  be  where  he  was  most  needed.  Perhaps  there 
were  other  reasons  which  he  did  not  mention  to  Ser- 
geant Gorman. 

He  had  found  a  shady  seat  for  himself  beneath  the 
wide-spreading  fronds  of  a  tree-fern,  and  through 
his  glasses  was  carefully  scanning  the  squadron  of 
men-of-war  in  the  harbour  below.  A  footstep  sounded 
on  a  rock  near  him.    It  was  Gorman : 

"  A  letter  for  you  from  Dr.  MacKay.  A  boy  has 
jist  arrived  wid  it.  I  thought  that  you  moight  want 
to  see  it  at  wanst." 

*'  Thank  you,  Gorman,"  he  replied,  tearing  it  open. 
"  Just  as  we  thought.  He  says  that  the  Chateau 
Renaiid  arrived  off  Tamsui  on  Wednesday.  .  .  . 
That's  the  day  we  saw  her  leave  here.  .  .  .  Over- 
hauled the  Welle  yesterday,  and  the  Hailoong,  too.  .  .  . 
Then  Mac's  at  Tamsui.  Boys,  but  I'd  like  to  see 
him !  .  .  .  Says  that  the  consul  has  got  a  hint  some- 
where that  the  French  are  going  to  bombard  Tam- 
sui. .  .  .  What  did  I  tell  you,  Gorman  ?  .  .  .  Thinks 
we  had  better  come  back  there  at  once  and  take  his 
boys  with  us.  .  .  .  So  do  I.  .  .  .  Says  your  ambu- 
lance corps  can  take  care  of  any  wounded  there  are 
likely  to  be  here.  ...  Of  course  they  can.  Whether 
they  can  or  not,  I'm  going." 

"  Another  moving !  "  exclaimed  Gorman,  who  had 
been  using  the  glasses. 


192  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  What !    By  Jove,  you're  right !  " 

Sinclair  was  manifesting  unwonted  excitement. 

"  We'd  better  start  at  once  if  we  want  to  get  through 
this  evening.  Pretty  nearly  thirty  miles  of  a  walk 
if  we  should  happen  to  miss  the  launch.  I'd  like  to 
get  there  before  the  Hailoong  sails.  I  want  to  see 
McLeod." 

Gorman's  left  eye,  which  was  invisible  to  Sinclair, 
winked  and  that  side  of  his  face  assumed  a  most 
comical  expression.  The  other  eye  looked  straight 
out  at  the  landscape,  and  the  other  side  of  his  face 
was  judicial  in  its  seriousness.  He  was  a  man  of 
some  perception. 

"  An'  you  think  that  the  hospital  here  will  get  along 
widout  us?"  he  asked. 

"  Of  course  it  will !     I'm  going  to  Tamsui.'* 

"  Faith  and  you're  a  man  afther  me  own  heart. 
Let  the  hospital  go  to  Ballyhack.  I'm  wid  you.  .  .  . 
There  she  goes  headin'  for  the  west.  The  parley-voos 
are  plottin'  somethin'  an'  we  want  to  be  there  whin 
it  happens." 

Late  that  afternoon  practically  the  whole  foreign 
population  of  North  Formosa  and  the  officers  of  the 
Locust  were  gathered  on  the  deck  of  the  Hailoong. 
Captain  Whiteley  and  McLeod  were  giving  what  they 
called  their  "Farewell  At  Home!"  After  their  ex- 
perience of  the  day  before  they  were  doubtful 
whether  they  would  be  allowed  to  enter  the  port  again 
so  long  as  the  Frenchmen  stayed. 

It  was  perhaps  the  largest  party  of  foreigners  which 
had  ever  gathered  in  North  Formosa.  Consular,  mis- 
sion and  custom  staffs,  merchants,  the  doctor,  naval 
officers,  visitors,  and  hosts,  they  numbered  thirty  or 


ALLISTER  193 

more.  The  measure  of  uncertainty,  the  spice  of  a 
possible  peril,  added  zest  to  their  intercourse.  Just 
out  of  sight  over  the  projecting  ridge  of  the  hill  to 
the  north  of  the  harbour,  the  Chateau  Renand  was 
lying  at  anchor.  That  very  day  the  long,  low,  sinister- 
looking  Vipere  had  slipped  into  the  very  mouth  of  the 
harbour.  She  could  be  plainly  seen  from  where  they 
sat  chatting  and  sipping  their  tea  on  the  deck  of 
the  Hailoong.  Every  one  felt  that  these  engines 
of  war  were  big  with  potentialities  of  danger  and 
death. 

As  usual,  since  her  arrival  in  Formosa,  Miss  Mac- 
Allister  was  the  centre  of  attraction.  Bald-headed 
seniors  like  De  Vaux  and  Boville  vied  with  young 
men  like  Carteret  and  mere  youths  like  Lanyon  for  her 
company  and  her  smiles.  But  for  reasons  best  known 
to  herself  she  chose  to  give  those  privileges  in  much 
the  largest  measure  to  McLeod.  As  one  of  the  hosts 
he  had  not  in  any  way  tried  to  monopolize  her.  But 
she  showed  so  marked  a  partiality  for  his  companion- 
ship that  it  did  appear  as  if  he  had  the  monopoly. 

"  It  seems  as  if  no  person  but  a  seaman  has  any 
show  with  the  ladies  to-day,"  said  Carteret  with  that 
indefinable  bitterness  of  tone  which  he  so  often  used. 
It  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  each  of  the  ladies 
present  was  deep  in  conversation  with  an  officer  of 
one  or  other  of  the  ships. 

"  By  my  faith,  it  can't  be  the  sea  which  is  the  at- 
traction," retorted  Lieutenant  Lanyon,  "  for  none  of 
them  will  look  at  me.  In  Miss  MacAllister's  case  it 
is  the  clannishness  of  the  Scotch,"  he  continued,  loud 
enough  for  her  to  hear.  "  If  McLeod  weren't  a  Mac, 
he'd  have  no  more  show  than  I  have,  and  that's  no 
show  at  all,  at  all." 


194  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

He  thought  that  he  would  draw  her  by  his  very 
boldness,  as  he  had  done  on  more  than  one  occasion 
before.     All  the  satisfaction  he  got  was: 

''  Now,  Mr.  Lanyon,  please  do  not  let  everybody 
on  board  know  that  you  cannot  get  a  lady  to  talk  to 
you.  There's  mother.  She  has  just  finished  her  con- 
versation with  Captain  Whiteley.  I  know  that  she 
will  take  pity  on  you." 

Lanyon  joined  as  heartily  as  the  rest  in  the  laugh 
at  his  own  expense,  and,  accepting  her  suggestion,  was 
soon  amusing  himself  and  Mrs.  MacAllister  with  his 
boyish  tales  of  adventures  and  scrapes  in  the  navy. 

Meanwhile  Miss  MacAllister  was  saying  to 
McLeod : 

"  Really,  Mr.  McLeod,  I  do  not  know  what  some 
of  these  men  are  made  of.  To  think  that  they  could 
sit  here  doing  the  little  routine  work  of  their  offices, 
with  battles  going  on  within  twenty  miles  of  them, 
and  never  so  much  as  go  to  see  what  a  battle  is  like ! 
I  wanted  to  go  myself.  But  father  and  the  consul 
wouldn't  let  me." 

"  You  must  remember.  Miss  MacAllister,  that  the 
majority  of  things  which  are  called  men  are  not  men. 
They  are  only  dressed  up  to  look  like  men.  When 
they  get  in  danger  or  any  other  place  which  needs 
men,  all  the  man  in  them  disappears  and  there  is 
nothing  left  but  the  clothes." 

*'  But  Dr.  MacKay  says  that  Dr.  Sinclair  and  Ser- 
geant Gorman  have  not  been  in  any  real  danger  since 
they  went  over  there.  He  says  that  the  Chinese  re- 
spect them  too  much  to  molest  them." 

"Yes;  but  that  is  where  the  difference  comes  in. 
Sinclair  is  a  man.  So  is  Gorman.  So  is  MacKay. 
The  Chinese  know  it,  and  they  are  safe.     But  some 


ALLISTER  195 

of  the  others — not  all,  only  some — are  not  men.  They 
wouldn't  be  safe." 

**  I  wish  that  I  were  a  man." 

"  If  you  were,  I  venture  to  say  that  you  would  be 
a  soldier." 

''  I  had  a  brother  once.     He  was  a  soldier." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  you  ever  had  a  brother.  You 
never  told  me  that." 

By  this  time  they  had  left  the  company  on  the  for- 
ward deck  and,  walking  away  aft,  were  leaning  on 
the  rail.  She  was  in  a  more  subdued  and  meditative 
mood  than  McLeod  had  ever  seen  her  before. 

**  No,"  she  said,  "  I  never  told  you.  I  rarely  tell 
anybody.    I  do  not  know  why  I  am  telling  you  now." 

McLeod  listened  in  sympathetic  silence.  He  knew 
that  behind  this  fact  of  the  brother  of  whom  she  sel- 
dom spoke  there  must  be  a  tragedy.  If  she  wished 
to  tell  him,  he  would  listen.  But  if  she  did  not,  he 
would  respect  her  reserve  and  not  seek  to  pry  into 
its  privacy. 

"  My  brother  was  an  officer  in  a  crack  English 
cavalry  regiment.  He  fought  in  Egypt  and  was  men- 
tioned in  despatches  after  Tel-el-Kebir.  But  he  was 
the  only  Scottish  officer  in  the  regiment,  and  the  only 
son  of  a  tradesman.  The  rest  were  Englishmen  and 
sons  of  do-nothing  aristocracy.  They  never  ceased 
twitting  Allister  about  being  a  Highland  kern,  and 
that  his  father  was  a  shopkeeper,  and  had  started  life 
as  an  errand  boy.  The  fact  that  he  was  mentioned 
in  dispatches  made  them  worse.    They  were  jealous." 

She  paused  for  a  moment.  McLeod  did  not  speak. 
She  glanced  at  him.  His  face  was  set.  One  hand  was 
clenched.  The  other  gripped  hard  on  the  rail.  She 
understood  and  went  on: 


196  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Two  of  them  were  especially  insulting.  At  mess 
one  evening  they  went  beyond  endurance.  AUister 
was  not  quick  with  his  tongue.  He  was  slow  of  speech 
and  could  not  answer  them.  But  there  was  another 
way  open,  and  he  took  it.  He  was  big  and  strong, 
as  big  and  strong  as  Dr.  Sinclair.  But  not  fair  like 
Dr.  Sinclair.  He  was  dark  like  mother.  He  called 
the  two  of  them  out  from  mess,  and  with  his  bare 
hands  gave  the  biggest  of  them  a  terrible  thrashing. 
The  other  ran  to  his  tent  for  his  sword  and  revolver. 
When  Allister  went  after  him,  for  his  Highland  blood 
was  up  and  nothing  could  stop  him,  the  coward  hid 
behind  the  excuse  that  they  must  fight  as  gentlemen. 
But  when  it  came  to  fighting  with  revolvers,  the  Eng- 
lishman who  had  been  thrashed  claimed  that  it  was 
his  right  to  fight  the  duel,  as  it  was  he  who  had 
been  beaten.  And  the  coward  was  glad  to  let 
him." 

She  paused  again.  Her  face  was  pale,  but  her  eyes 
showed  the  fire  which  burned  within.  McLeod  was 
breathing  hard,  as  if  in  a  physical  struggle. 

"  It  was  quickly  arranged  and  quickly  over.  Out 
there  on  the  sand  in  the  moonlight  they  faced  each 
other  and  fired  only  once.  Allister  was  not  hit.  The 
Englishman  was  shot  through  the  lung.  The  regi- 
mental doctor  said  that  he  could  live  only  an  hour. 
He  could  not  check  the  flow  of  blood. 

"  A  few  minutes  afterwards  Allister  rode  out  of 
camp  towards  Alexandria.  His  orderly,  who  was 
Highland  like  himself,  brought  us  word  that  he  could 
not  stand  the  thought  of  what  it  would  mean  to  father 
and  mother  and  me,  that  he  should  be  tried  and  con- 
victed of  murder.  That  was  two  years  ago  to-day. 
Since  that  we  have  never  heard  a  word." 


ALLISTER  197 

For  the  first  time  in  her  recital  McLeod  spoke : 
"  Did  the  EngHshman  die  ?  " 

"  No,  he  did  not.  He  is  now  strong  and  well. 
What  is  better,  he  bitterly  repented  the  wrong  he  did 
my  brother.  He  came  to  father  and  mother  seeking 
our  forgiveness,  and  was  forgiven.  Now  he  is  help- 
ing to  search  the  world  for  Allister.  What  became 
of  the  coward  we  never  heard,  except  that  he  was 
dismissed  from  the  service  for  cowardice.  We  never 
knew  his  name." 

*'  That  is  the  real  reason  why  your  father  is  spend- 
ing so  much  time  in  those  out-of-the-way  places  of 
the  Far  East.  He  hopes  to  get  word  of  your 
brother." 

"Yes.  Mother  is  convinced  that  Allister  is  dead. 
But  father  and  I  cannot  believe  it.  We  believe  that 
he  is  living,  and  that  we  shall  find  him.  And  fa- 
ther believes  that  it  will  not  be  very  long.  He  told 
me  only  this  morning  that  he  was  convinced  that  it 
would  be  soon." 

"The  Highland  second  sight." 
"  Yes.     God  grant  that  it  may  be  so." 
"  Amen !  "  said  McLeod  solemnly. 
For  some  minutes  they  leaned  on  the  rail  in  silence. 
Her  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  water,  which  was  flowing 
upstream  with  the  rising  tide.     McLeod  was  looking 
away  up  the  river  to  where  he  could  distinguish  the 
little  passenger  launch  emerging  from  a  fleet  of  cargo 
boats  and  bat-winged  junks.    It  was  steaming  straight 
down  the  river  at  full  speed.    Presently  he  said : 

"  I  wonder  what's  up.    The  launch  is  heading  for 
us  instead  of  going  to  her  jetty." 

"  There  are  some  Europeans  on  her,"  Miss  Mac- 
Allister  replied.     "  I  can  see  two  men  wearing  hel- 


198  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

mets  under  the  awning.  They  evidently  are  coming 
on  board." 

Then  she  uttered  a  faint  cry.  One  of  the  men  had 
stepped  from  under  the  awning  and  stood  at  his  full 
height  on  the  bow  of  the  launch.  The  next  instant  he 
took  off  his  helmet  and  waved  it  at  McLeod.  The 
sunlight  gleamed  on  a  mass  of  fair  hair. 

''  Oh ! "  she  said.  "  It  is  Dr.  Sinclair.  As  he  stood 
up  I  thought  it  was  Allister.  Their  figures  are  ex- 
actly alike.    But  it  was  foolish  of  me." 

McLeod  seemed  hardly  to  heed  what  she  was  say- 
ing. He  had  climbed  on  the  rail,  was  frantically  wav- 
ing his  white  cap,  and  yelling  like  a  schoolboy. 

"  What  cronies  you  two  are ! "  she  said  with  mock 
severity,  but  laughing  all  the  while.  "  Talk  about  the 
Scotch  being  clannish !  You  Canadians  beat  anything 
I  ever  met  for  clannishness." 

"  Just  some  Canadians,"  answered  McLeod.  "  Will 
you  excuse  me?  "  he  called  back  as  he  went  below. 

"  Those  two  must  be  desperately  in  love,"  she  said 
to  herself  as  she  smilingly  responded  to  Sinclair's 
courteous  salutation  from  the  bow  of  the  launch. 

The  next  instant  McLeod  had  hold  of  both  Sin- 
clair and  Gorman  and  was  ushering  them  up  the  com- 
panion-way. The  sergeant  would  have  declined.  But 
McLeod  would  take  no  refusal.  The  company  present 
were  his  and  Captain  Whiteley's  guests.  And  who- 
ever they  chose  to  invite  would  have  to  be  received 
as  such.  And  not  only  Sinclair,  but  the  consul  and 
others  who  had  known  him  noticed  that  Gorman's 
brogue  and  exaggerated  Irishisms  were  dropped  as 
easily  as  if  they  had  all  been  assumed,  and  the  Irish 
noncom  was  as  much  at  ease  and  as  correct  in  his 
behaviour  as  any  of  those  who  boasted  gentle  birth. 


XX 

THE  INFALLIBLE  EXPERTS 

THE  next  evening  (it  was  a  Saturday)  Dr.  Sin- 
clair dined  with  the  MacAlHsters.  To  his  sur- 
prise, and  much  to  his  dehght,  he  was  the  only 
guest.  For  the  first  time  he  saw  something  of  their 
home  life.  He  saw,  too,  Miss  MacAllister  in  a  role 
different  from  anything  he  had  seen  before.  Up  to 
this  time  he  had  always  met  her  as  a  passenger  or 
a  guest,  with  no  responsibilities  save  those  of  amus- 
ing and  being  amused.  She  had  been  the  centre  of 
an  admiring  circle,  free  to  be  as  whimsical  or  way- 
ward as  the  fancy  of  the  moment  suggested.  That 
evening  she  shared  with  her  mother  the  duties  of  host- 
ess and  devoted  herself  to  making  the  evening  pleas- 
ant for  their  guest.  And  Sinclair  thought  that  never 
before  had  a  single  evening  brought  him  so  much 
enjoyment. 

He  wondered  at  the  change.  Was  it  another  side 
of  her  character?  Or  was  it  that  she  had  changed 
her  attitude  towards  himself?  The  previous  after- 
noon he  had  noticed  that  she  received  him  with  a 
frank  cordiality  which  had  surprised  and  delighted 
him.  But  she  had  been  just  as  ready  with  gay  banter 
and  raillery  as  ever,  especially  when  talking  to  Lanyon 
or  any  others  of  the  guests  who  pressed  their  atten- 
tions upon  her.  This  evening  there  was  none  of  that. 
Bright  and  entertaining  she  certainly  was.  But  there 
was  not  a  trace  of  the  whimsical,  teasing  spirit  she 

199 


200  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

had  formerly  manifested,  nor  a  word  which  could 
make  him  feel  uncomfortable.  As  the  evening  sped 
away  he  felt  himself  becoming  more  and  more  fas- 
cinated. He  had  met  many  beautiful  and  attractive 
women,  but  never  one  who  cast  such  a  spell  over  him. 

Mrs.  MacAllister  was  not  extremely  cordial.  She 
did  not  wax  enthusiastic  over  him  as  she  had  done 
over  De  Vaux  and  Carteret.  But  she  was  a  High- 
land hostess  in  her  own  home.  And  though  it  might 
be  only  a  temporary  home  in  a  foreign  land,  and 
though  she  had  not  been  anxious  to  have  Dr.  Sinclair 
for  dinner,  she  had  too  much  of  the  hospitality  of 
her  native  hills  to  do  otherwise  than  endeavour  to 
make  him  feel  that  he  was  welcome  there. 

Mr.  MacAllister  was  cordiality  itself.  In  Sinclair 
he  found  a  kindred  spirit.  His  interest  in  men,  to 
whatever  race  they  might  belong,  his  keen  insight 
and  trained  powers  of  observation,  were  refreshing 
to  the  shrewd  business  man  after  the  many  men  he 
met  who  went  about  the  world  with  eyes  which  did 
not  see.  From  the  moment  they  sat  down  to  dinner 
until  they  rose  from  it  he  plied  Sinclair  with  ques- 
tions and  compared  the  doctor's  observations  with 
his  own. 

*'  You  have  had  a  great  opportunity  of  studying 
the  Chinese  during  the  last  couple  of  months,'*  he 
said.  "  I  envy  you.  Since  you  went  over  to  Keelung 
I  have  visited  Foochow,  spent  another  short  spell 
in  Amoy,  and  travelled  over  a  considerable  part  of 
South  Formosa.  But  I  have  felt  all  the  time  that 
I  really  did  not  get  into  touch  with  the  natives.  I 
couldn't  speak  their  languages.  I  was  staying  always 
in  the  homes  of  foreigners.  I  came  into  contact  with 
the  Chinese  only,  as  it  were,  at  second  hand.     But 


THE  INFALLIBLE  EXPERTS  201 

for  one  who  has  just  arrived  among  them,  you  have 
had  a  remarkable  experience  and  an  exceptional  op- 
portunity.    I  envy  you." 

"  It  has  been  an  opportunity,  though  of  course  too 
short  to  form  anything  like  final  conclusions.  Nev- 
ertheless, I  saw  enough  to  convince  me  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  information  about  China  which 
is  being  served  up  to  the  Western  world  by  so-called 
authorities  is  absolutely  unreliable.  The  ten-day  tour- 
ists and  meteoric  newspaper  correspondents  get  only 
surface  impressions,  and  even  these  are  generally 
wrong." 

"  We  had  one  of  them  here  while  you  were  at  Kee- 
lung  and  father  was  in  the  South,"  said  Miss  Mac- 
Allister. 

"  Is  that  so  ?    I  had  not  heard.    Who  was  it  ?  " 

''  Mr.  F.  L.  Y.  Urquhart,  the  famous  traveller  and 
authority  on  China." 

"  Indeed !     How  long  did  he  stay  ?  " 

*'  Arrived  from  Foochow  on  the  gunboat  Falcon  in 
the  forenoon.  Called  on  the  consul,  the  commissioner 
of  customs,  and  ourselves.  Lunched  on  the  Locust. 
Went  up  river  in  the  afternoon.  Stayed  one  hour, 
and  returned  by  the  same  launch.  Had  tennis  and 
tea  at  the  consulate.  At  6.30  put  off  to  join  the 
Falcon  again  and  sailed  immediately  for  Amoy." 

"And  I  suppose  had  the  fate  of  Formosa  settled." 

"Oh,  yes!    Quite!" 

"What  is  It?" 

"  The  French  will  have  the  Island  In  their  possession 
in  a  month  or  six  weeks  at  the  outside.  Their  trans- 
ports with  large  land  forces  and  escorted  by  naval 
reenforcements  have  already  passed  the  Suez.  Be- 
fore them  the  Chinese  army  will  run  like  sheep,  and 


202  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

the  inhabitants  will  submit  without  a  blow.  Once  the 
French  flag  is  hoisted  it  will  never  be  taken  down. 
Formosa  is  lost  to  Britain  through  the  stupidity  of  old 
Lord  Littlengland,  the  Foreign  Secretary.  He  re- 
fused to  accept  it  when  China  actually  offered  to  cede 
it  to  Britain  to  keep  it  out  of  the  hands  of  the  French, 
as  he  had  absolute  assurance  from  Li  Hung-chang 
himself." 

"  Excellently  done !  "  exclaimed  Sinclair,  laughing 
at  her  mimicry  of  the  assurance  of  the  expert.  ''  Did 
he  not  call  on  Dr.  MacKay?" 

''  No.  I  suggested  that  he  should.  He  replied  that 
he  put  no  reliance  on  the  opinions  of  missionaries. 
They  were  all  narrow-minded  fanatics,  who  couldn't 
take  a  broad,  large-minded  view  of  the  situation." 

"  So  he  missed  the  one  man  who  knows  more  of 
the  probabilities  of  this  war  than  all  the  rest  of  us 
taken  together  ?  " 

*'  Yes,  he  missed  him  entirely.  Said  that  he  didn't 
care  to  meet  him." 

"That  is  it  exactly.  It  is  just  such  self -conceited 
experts,  who  know  all  about  China  when  they  have 
been  ashore  at  half  a  dozen  seaports  during  the  hours 
of  call  of  a  passenger  liner  and  who  refuse  to  learn 
from  those  who  do  know,  who  have  given  our  West- 
ern nations  such  an  exaggerated  idea  of  their  own 
superiority  and  of  China's  inferiority." 

"  Then  you  think  that  the  Chinese  have  been  un- 
derestimated as  soldiers,"  said  Mr.  MacAllister. 

''  I  certainly  do.  For  one  thing,  I  have  never  seen 
nor  heard  of  among  any  other  people  anything  like 
the  ability  of  the  Chinese  to  bear  pain.  I  was  com- 
pelled to  perform  without  anaesthetics  operations  so 
painful  that  most   Europeans  or  Americans  would 


THE  INFALLIBLE  EXPERTS  20S 

rather  have  died  than  have  endured  them.  Yet  the 
Chinese  bore  them  with  Httle  more  than  an  occa- 
sional groan  or  a  suppressed  *  ai-yah.'  " 

"  Why,  then,  is  it  that  they  have  made  such  a  poor 
showing  when  opposed  to  European  troops?  I  have 
always  been  informed  that  it  was  the  lack  of  physical 
courage." 

"  It  is  not  because  of  the  lack  of  courage.  It  is 
the  lack  of  training  and  the  lack  of  leadership.  Go- 
ing into  battle  vain,  self-confident,  and  contemptuous 
towards  the  foreigners,  they  have  suddenly  found 
themselves  exposed  by  incompetent  commanders, 
mowed  down  by  the  foreign  weapons,  disconcerted  by 
well-ordered  movements  of  trained  men,  and  help- 
less to  meet  foreign  strategy.  The  inevitable  panic 
followed,  and  they  ran." 

"  But  we  have  been  told  again  and  again  by  the 
experts  that  it  is  impossible  to  drill  the  Chinese;  that 
they  will  never  be  anything  else  than  a  mob." 

"  Then  I  wish  those  experts  could  have  seen  Ser- 
geant Gorman  and  his  ambulance  corps.  He  was 
given  some  of  the  toughest  material  in  Liu  Ming- 
chuan's  army.  In  a  month's  time  they  moved  like 
clock-work.  As  the  American  general  they  have  over 
there  said,  I'd  just  like  to  see  Gorman  '  lickin'  a  regi- 
ment into  fightin'  shape.'  General  Gordon  proved 
what  could  be  done  with  a  Chinese  army  during  the 
Tai-ping  rebellion.  If  China  only  had  a  few  native 
General  Gordons,  the  world  would  soon  receive  no- 
tice that  China  was  to  be  left  alone." 

"  Is  that  not  just  where  the  difficulty  lies,  the  lack 
of  able,  patriotic  leadership?  The  authorities  tell  us 
that  there  is  no  patriotism  in  China.  They  say  that 
every  man  is  for  himself,  or  at  most  for  his  own  city 


204i  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

or  province,  but  he  cares  nothing  for  the  country  as 
a  whole." 

*'  That  may  have  been  true  in  the  past,  and  doubt- 
less still  is  true  of  the  mass  of  the  people.  But  it 
is  no  longer  true  of  many  of  the  younger  and  better 
educated  men.  There  are  young  officers  in  the  army 
who  are  just  as  patriotically  Chinese,  whether  they 
come  from  the  North  or  Centre  or  South,  as  we  are 
British,  whether  we  be  from  Britain  or  Canada  or 
Australia.  They  are  learning  more  from  defeats  than 
they  would  from  victories.  Some  day  before  very 
long  China  will  produce  a  man  whom  his  countrymen 
will  follow.  Then  it  will  say  *  Hands  off ! '  to  the 
world." 

"  What  do  you  think  is  the  country's  greatest  need 
at  the  present  moment?  The  missionaries  say,  Chris- 
tianity. Hart,  the  Inspector  General  of  Customs, 
who  has  lived  half  a  lifetime  in  China,  and  the  Ameri- 
can Minister  at  Pekin  endorse  the  missionaries'  opin- 
ions. The  special  correspondents  and  the  experts 
say  political  reform.     What  do  you  think?" 

"  Christianity,  most  emphatically.  The  political  re- 
forms will  follow.  When  the  new  China  appears  in 
the  world  its  leaders  will  be  Christians." 

Mrs.  MacAllister,  who  had  been  listening  with  ill- 
concealed  impatience,  threw  back  her  head  and 
sniffed. 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,"  she  said,  "  do  you  really  think  that 
it  makes  any  difference  with  these  Chinese  whether 
they  call  themselves  Christians  or  heathens  ?  " 

"  I  am  quite  sure  of  it,  Mrs.  MacAllister." 

"  Well,  I  don't  believe  that  a  Christian  Chinese  is 
one  bit  different  from  a  heathen  Chinese.  They  are 
both  just  dirty  Chinese." 


THE  INFALLIBLE  EXPERTS  S05 

'*  If  you  could  see  the  difference  between  Dr.  Mac- 
Kay's  students,  who  were  with  me  as  nurses  and  hos- 
pital assistants,  and  their  heathen  neighbours,"  re- 
plied Sinclair,  "  you  would  not  say  that.  I  have  never 
seen  nurses  or  medical  students  in  a  hospital  at  home 
more  cleanly,  faithful  or  efficient,  or  more  apt  to 
learn.  Their  people  were  just  common,  ignorant 
Chinese  peasants.  I  know  of  no  explanation  of  the 
difference  between  these  boys  and  others  of  their  class, 
except  that  these  were  Christians  and  the  others  were 
not." 

"I  see  that  you  quite  agree  with  my  husband  in 
this.  But  I  do  not.  When  we  were  at  home  it  seemed 
romantic  to  hear  about  foreign  missions.  But  when 
I  came  out  here,  and  saw  those  ignorant  natives,  and 
heard  some  of  them  called  Christians,  it  quite  dis- 
gusted me.  And  Dr.  MacKay  actually  asked  us  to 
go  to  the  native  church  and  sit  at  the  Lord's  Table 
with  them.  I  was  so  surprised  at  him  that  I  did  not 
know  what  answer  to  make.  I  do  not  believe  that 
they  are  real  Christians  at  all.  What  was  it  Mr.  Car- 
teret called  them?  Oh,  yes!  Rice  Christians!  He 
said  that  they  were  '  rice  Christians.'  That  means 
that  they  were  in  it  for  what  they  could  get  out  of 
it.  Mr.  Carteret  said  that  he  had  never  known  a  real 
Christian  among  them." 

Sinclair  had  intended  to  allow  the  subject  to  drop 
when  he  saw  that  for  some  reason  his  hostess  held 
very  pronounced  views  on  it,  different  from  his  own. 
But  her  quoting  Carteret  as  an  authority  on  the  sin- 
cerity or  reality  of  religious  beliefs  touched  him  to 
the  quick.    He  answered  very  quietly  but  firmly : 

"  All  over  the  south  of  Scotland,  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  North  Sea,  in  churchyard  or  hillside  or  lonely 


me  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

moor,  are  to  be  found  flat  slabs  or  tall  monuments, 
marking  the  spots  where  the  Covenanters  of  two 
hundred  years  ago  were  slain  or  where  their  bodies 
were  laid  to  rest.  Some  of  them  were  gentlemen  of 
birth.  Some  were  cultured  ministers.  But  the  great 
majority  were  plain  people,  sometimes  ignorant  peo- 
ple; just  ordinary  hard-working,  unlearned  Scottish 
peasants.  Yet  the  places  where  they  died  are  sacred 
to-day.  Monuments  are  erected  to  them.  Books  are 
written  about  them.  They  are  held  up  before  us 
as  the  martyrs  and  heroes  of  our  Church.  Why?  Be- 
cause they  died  rather  than  deny  their  faith. 

"  Less  than  a  month  ago  and  less  than  twenty  miles 
from  here,  some  plain  people — merchants,  farmers, 
artisans — were  asked  to  deny  their  faith.  They  re- 
fused. They  were  beaten.  They  were  tortured.  They 
were  hanged  by  the  hair  of  the  head.  Two  of  them 
were  drowned.  Their  religion  was  the  same  as  that 
of  the  Scottish  Covenanters.  They  died  for  it  just 
as  willingly  as  the  Covenanters  did.  They  were 
Chinese.  If  we  say  that  the  Scottish  sufferers  were 
martyrs  and  heroes,  I  do  not  know  how  we  can  refuse 
to  say  the  same  of  the  Chinese." 

He  had  spoken  quietly,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice.  But 
the  very  quietness  of  his  manner  had  deepened  the 
impression  of  tense  feeling,  of  emotion  kept  under 
firm  control.  His  words  had  grown  eloquent  in  spite 
of  himself. 

When  he  ceased  there  was  perfect  silence  for  some 
minutes.  Miss  MacAllister  was  looking  wonderingly 
at  him.  He  had  always  seemed  so  good-humoured, 
so  easy-going  that  she  had  sometimes  asked  herself 
if  he  was  really  capable  of  deep,  passionate  feeling. 
At  an  unexpected  moment  she  had  got  her  answer. 


THE  INFALLIBLE  EXPERTS  207 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  passion  of  admiration 
for  a  heroic  deed  which  possessed  him,  the  indignant 
protest  against  an  injustice.  It  was  all  the  more  im- 
pressive because  it  was  so  restrained.  For  reasons 
which  perhaps  she  could  not  explain  to  herself  she 
felt  a  thrill  of  pleasure  at  recognizing  this  note  of 
passion  in  his  voice. 

Mrs.  MacAllister  also  sat  silent  for  a  time.  Then 
she  said  in  a  very  different  tone  from  that  which  she 
had  used  before: 

*'  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Dr.  Sinclair.  I  had  not 
looked  at  it  in  that  light." 

"  It  is  not  easy  for  any  one  of  us  to  be  entirely  just 
to  peoples  so  unlike  us  as  are  the  Chinese,"  said  her 
husband.  **  Yet,  when  we  get  down  to  the  main- 
springs of  their  conduct,  we  find  that  they  are  pretty 
much  the  same  as  our  own." 


XXI 

THE  LANGUAGE  OF  SONG 

WHEN  dinner  was  over,  Sinclair  asked  Miss 
MacAllister  if  she  would  play  and  sing  for 
them.  "  I  have  not  heard  a  song,"  he  said, 
"  nor  the  sound  of  a  civilized  instrument  since  the 
evening  at  the  consulate,  just  after  we  landed." 

For  a  moment  her  eyes  danced  mischievously.  A 
question  about  that  Indian  song  of  his  trembled  upon 
her  lips.  But  she  thought  better  of  it,  deciding  not 
to  say  anything  which  might  mar  the  evening  by  any 
misunderstanding.     So  she  replied: 

"I  am  afraid  that  you  will  hardly  call  this  piano 
a  civilized  instrument  after  you  have  heard  it.  It  has 
almost  ceased  to  be  an  instrument  at  all.  Its  age,  the 
climate,  and  the  lack  of  a  tuner  have  combined  to  make 
it  a  mere  caricature  of  a  piano.  But,  if  you'll  try  to 
imagine  that  the  weird  sounds  it  produces  are  music, 
I  shall  do  my  best." 

"  Your  voice  will  more  than  compensate  for  any 
deficiencies  in  the  instrument,"  he  said  as  he  conducted 
her  to  the  piano. 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,  I  am  surprised  at  you.  I  didn't  think 
that  you  would  flatter." 

''  I  am  not  flattering.     I  mean  it." 

She  bent  over  the  music;  but  he  could  see  the  warm 
colour  flow  up  the  side  of  her  neck  and  face.  He 
wondered  if  he  had  been  too  bold.  Had  he  displeased 
her  ?  She  kept  her  head  bent  down  and  slowly  turned 
the  leaves  of  a  song  folio  which  rested  on  the  keys. 

208 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  SONG  209 

He  could  see  little  of  her  face.  Had  he  by  his  rash- 
ness annoyed  her  and  brought  discord  into  that  de- 
lightful evening? 

Presently  she  seemed  to  have  made  a  choice.  She 
gave  him  one  quick,  shy  glance,  and  he  saw  her  face. 
The  blush  still  lingered  there,  but  there  was  no  trace 
of  displeasure. 

"  Would  you  like  me  to  sing  this  ?  " 

She  laid  the  folio  open  on  the  piano.  Sinclair's 
heart  gave  a  leap.  She  had  chosen  a  love  song.  It 
was  not  indeed  a  maiden's  tale  of  love,  but  the  love 
of  a  man  for  a  maid.  Nevertheless,  it  was  a  woman's 
song,  and  a  woman's  tenderness  breathed  through  both 
words  and  melody  of  immortal  ''  Annie  Laurie." 

"  You  could  not  have  chosen  anything  I  should  have 
liked  better.    *  Annie  Laurie  '  will  never  grow  old." 

She  sang  the  first  verse  alone.    Then  she  said : 

"  I  thought  that  you  were  going  to  sing  with  me. 
Will  you  not  put  in  a  bass?"  And  a  little  mis- 
chievously :  ''  It  will  at  least  help  to  drown  the  dis- 
cords of  this  old  instrument." 

"  I  was  enjoying  your  voice  so  much,"  he  replied, 
"  that  I  did  not  wish  to  spoil  the  pleasure  by  adding 
mine.     But,  if  you  wish  it,  I'll  join  you." 

Other  songs,  mostly  old  Scotch  favourites,  followed. 
Sinclair  noted  that  she  did  not  choose  war-songs  as 
when  she  sang  at  the  consulate.  Her  mood  was  dif- 
ferent, and  she  chose  those  into  which  the  singers 
of  her  race  had  poured  all  their  pathos  and  their 
tenderness. 

As  they  talked  in  the  intervals,  and  sometimes  pro- 
longed the  selection  of  a  song,  the  hesitation  and  mu- 
tual reserve  wore  off  and  soon  they  found  themselves 
conversing  with  the  quiet  confidence  of  those  who  had 


210  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

long  been  friends.  There  seemed  to  be  no  room  for 
misunderstandings. 

Again  and  again  Sinclair  caught  himself  wondering 
if  this  were  the  same  girl  who  had  badgered  him  so 
unmercifully  a  few  weeks  before.  Or  was  this  pres- 
ent situation  only  a  bright  dream,  from  which  he 
would  awaken  to  find  himself  still  the  object  of  her 
badinage  and  laughter?  ''Well,"  he  thought  to  him- 
self, "  dream  or  no  dream,  Fll  enjoy  it  while  it  lasts 
and  hope  that  I  may  be  long  in  waking  up." 

But  there  were  a  few  things  which  reminded  him 
that  it  was  not  a  dream.  Mrs.  MacAllister  did  not 
enter  quite  so  heartily  into  sympathy  with  her  daugh; 
ter's  mood  as  did  Dr.  Sinclair.  Perhaps  it  was  not 
to  be  expected.  More  than  once  she  endeavoured  to 
interject  her  disapproval  of  their  choice  of  songs. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  sing  next,  Jessie  ?  "  she 
asked  when  three  love  songs  had  followed  one  an- 
other without  a  break. 

"  '  Robin  Adair.'  " 

Mrs.  MacAllister  sniffed  audibly. 

''  I  do  not  think  much  of  your  choice,"  she  said 
tartly. 

'*  You  like  it,  father,  do  you  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  Jessie !    It  suits  me  very  well.    Sing  it." 

When  it  was  sung  Mrs.  MacAllister  returned  to 
the  attack: 

"  Why  do  you  not  sing  something  lively  instead  of 
those  lonesome  pieces?  It  gives  me  a  creepy  feeling. 
Dr.  Sinclair  is  just  back  from  the  war.  Can  you  not 
sing  him  some  fighting  song,  such  as  '  Bonnie  Dun- 
dee '  or  '  Scots  Wha  Ha'e  wi'  Wallace  Bled  '  ?  " 

*'  Mother,  I  do  not  feel  like  singing  fighting  songs 
this  evening.     We  are  likely  to  have  fighting  enough 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  SONG  211 

soon.  But  if  Dr.  Sinclair  has  become  so  bloodthirsty 
as  a  result  of  his  service  at  the  front,  I'll  try  to  sat- 
isfy him.  Must  you  give  vent  to  your  feelings  in  a 
war-song,  Dr.  Sinclair?"  A  gleam  of  fun  shot 
through  the  mock  anxiety  of  her  face. 

"  Not  at  all,  Miss  MacAllister.  I  saw  enough  of 
glorious  war  to  do  me  for  a  little  while.  The  glory 
of  it  is  mostly  in  the  songs.  There  is  little  glory 
in  the  actuality.  Anyway,  I  am  enjoying  myself  too 
much  as  it  is  to  take  the  chance  of  spoiling  it  by  a 
change." 

Miss  MacAllister  answered  by  a  warning  shake  of 
the  head,  the  severity  of  which  was  disarmed  by  the 
accompanying  smile.  But  her  mother  set  her  lips 
close  together,  elevated  her  nose,  and  sniffed  very 
audibly. 

All  unheeding,  the  young  people  chose  another  Scot- 
tish song,  "  Bonnie  Charlie's  Noo  Awa."  As  the 
plaintive  words  and  the  wailing  notes  rang  out, 

"  Mony  a  heart  will  break  in  twa 
Should  you  ne'er  come  back  again," 

Mr.  MacAllister  slipped  out  of  the  room  into  the  ve- 
randah which  looked  over  the  river  to  the  tall  dark 
peak  beyond. 

Then  the  lament  of  the  chorus  rose  into  a  cry  and 
died  away  in  a  sob : 

"Will  ye  no  come  back  again? 
Will  ye  no  come  back  again? 
Better  lo'ed  ye  canna  be. 
Will  ye  no  come  back  again?" 

Mrs.  MacAllister  rose  and  hurriedly  followed  her 
husband. 

A  late  moon  was  rising  over  the  great  bulk  of  the 
Taitoon  range,  shedding  its  pale  light  on  the  brim- 


212  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

ming  river,  save  v^here  the  houses  of  the  town  and 
the  clustered  junks  cast  long,  dark  shadov^^s.  Out  in 
mid-stream  the  Locust  sv^am  on  the  mirror-like  sur- 
face. The  call  of  a  night  bird  rang  plaintively  across 
the  water.  Within,  the  voices  of  the  singers  rose  again 
in  the  last  stanza : 

"  Sweet's  the  lav'rock's  note  and  lang; 
Liltin'  wildly  up  the  glen ; 
But  aye  to  me  he  sings  ae  sang, 
Will  ye  no  come  back  again  ?  " 

In  the  dark  shadow  of  the  deep  verandah  a  man  and 
woman,  both  middle-aged,  pressed  close  to  each  other. 
His  arm  was  around  her  waist.  Her  head  was  on 
his  shoulder.  As  he  caressed  and  soothed  her  his 
tears  fell  on  her  face  and  mingled  with  her  own.  It 
was  not  of  a  long-dead  prince  they  were  thinking. 
It  was  of  a  lost  son  of  whom  they  did  not  know 
whether  he  was  living  or  dead. 

The  silver  tones  of  the  gunboat^s  bell  rang  out  on 
the  sweet  night  air,  striking  six  times.  Sinclair 
pulled  out  his  watch  with  a  look  of  incredulity: 

"  Eleven  o'clock !  Miss  MacAllister,  I  am  ashamed 
of  myself.  I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late.  I  have  been 
enjoying  myself  so  much  that  this  evening  has  passed 
like  a  dream." 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  have  enjoyed  it.  The  time 
has  passed  very  quickly  to  me,  too." 

"  You  do  not  know  what  pleasure  it  gives  me  to 
hear  you  say  so.  It  has  been  to  me  the  pleasantest 
evening  of  my  life." 

She  blushed  at  the  implication,  gave  him  the  reward 
of  a  smile,  and  rose  hurriedly  from  the  piano : 

"  Where  are  father  and  mother  ?  I  must  find  them 
to  bid  you  good-bye." 


XXII 
HALCYON  DAYS 

THE  next  three  days  were  to  Dr.  Sinclair  a  con- 
tinuation of  that  evening's  dream.  They  were 
full  of  incident.  But  what  made  them  still 
more  pleasant  and  memorable  was  the  fact  that  he 
often  met  Miss  MacAllister,  and  that  she  was  uni- 
formly kind  and  seemed  to  enjoy  his  company.  It 
is  true  that  after  Saturday  evening  they  did  not  again 
meet  alone.  But  no  matter  how  gay  the  company 
might  be,  nor  how  much  chaffing  and  repartee  was  pass- 
ing among  them,  she  never  reverted  to  the  attitude  she 
had  adopted  during  the  first  week  of  their  acquaint- 
ance. She  did  not  try  to  make  him  feel  uncomfortable, 
nor  did  she  cause  a  laugh  at  his  expense. 

On  Sunday  morning  at  nine  o'clock  there  was  a 
service  in  the  little  native  church,  a  few  rods  from 
the  hong  of  MacAllister,  Munro  Co.  In  addition  to 
the  local  Christians  there  were  many  refugees  present 
who  had  fled  from  their  homes  in  the  inland  villages, 
having  lost  everything  but  their  lives. 

The  Communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  ob- 
served. Dr.  MacKay  presiding,  assisted  by  his  mis- 
sionary colleague  and  some  of  the  oldest  native  preach- 
ers. Mr.  MacAllister  and  his  daughter,  Dr.  Sinclair, 
an  engineer  and  a  petty  officer  from  the  Locust,  and 
one  member  of  the  customs  staff  sat  with  the  wives  of 
the  missionaries  and  the  native  converts.  The  serv- 
ice was  conducted  in  Chinese.    Consequently  the  words 

213 


2U  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

were  unintelligible  to  most  of  the  foreigners  present. 
Yet  they  were  conscious  of  the  tense  feeling,  the  close 
and  reverent  attention,  the  spirit  of  prayer  of  the  na- 
tive worshippers. 

Once  only  did  the  officiating  missionary  use  the 
English  language.  He  was  administering  the  wine, 
and  spoke  the  words  of  a  formula  in  Chinese.  The 
audience  had  been  silent  and  reverent  before.  Now 
the  silence  could  be  felt.    He  repeated  it  in  English : 

"  *  This  cup  is  the  new  covenant  in  my  blood,  which 
is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins :  Drink  ye 
all  of  it.  It  may  be  that  many  of  you  will  drink  no 
more  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine  until  that  day  when  you 
drink  it  new  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.'  " 

When  the  service  was  over  Sinclair  walked  slowly 
along  the  narrow  street  with  Miss  MacAllister  and  her 
father.  For  a  time  they  were  silent,  as  if  each  were 
letting  the  impression  of  it  sink  into  the  mind.  Miss 
MacAllister  was  the  first  to  speak. 

''  I  have  never  thought  myself  religious,"  she  said. 
"  I  am  afraid  that  I  have  been  like  so  many  others, 
a  member  of  a  church  because  it  is  customary  and  re- 
spectable. But  if  the  spirit  and  atmosphere  which  were 
in  that  little  Chinese  church  this  morning  prevailed  in 
our  big  churches  at  home,  I  think  I  could  be  religious.'* 

'*  I  am  afraid  that  you  are  underestimating  your 
own  interest  in  religion,"  replied  her  father.  "And 
perhaps  you  are  mixing,  just  a  little,  reverent  feelings 
and  actually  living  as  a  Christian.  They  are  very  dif- 
ferent things.  But  it  is  true  that  the  spirit  of  worship 
I  have  found  in  many  of  those  native  churches  has 
made  the  services  of  a  considerable  proportion  of  our 
home  churches  appear  mere  barren,  lifeless  formalism 
in  comparison.     The  West  may  have  again  to  learn 


HALCYON  DAYS  215 

from  the  East  the  devotion  and  self-forgetfulness  of 
Christianity." 

They  had  reached  a  point  in  the  narrow,  crooked 
street  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  harbour  and 
of  the  sea  beyond.  An  exclamation  from  Sinclair 
directed  their  attention  seaward. 

A  small  merchant  steamer  was  seen  coming  towards 
the  harbour.  As  she  drew  near  a  puff  of  smoke 
streamed  out  from  the  Vipere,  and  after  an  interval 
the  heavy  boom  of  a  cannon  floated  along  the  water. 
The  little  merchantman  promptly  reversed.  A  boat 
from  the  Frenchman  ran  alongside.  After  half  an 
hour's  delay  the  boat  pulled  away  again,  and  the 
Fokien  steamed  slowly  in,  picking  up  a  pilot  as  she 
came.  Her  captain  had  satisfied  the  search  party  that 
she  had  no  contraband  of  war  on  board. 

In  the  afternoon  Sinclair  and  Miss  MacAllister  met 
at  a  service  conducted  in  English  in  the  little  mission 
college  for  the  benefit  of  the  foreign  community.  The 
missionaries,  the  consul  and  his  wife  and  daughter, 
the  officers  and  a  detachment  of  men  from  the  Locust, 
and  the  MacAllisters  attended.  Very  few  of  the  other 
foreign  residents  took  advantage  of  it.  Most  of  them 
had  shed  their  church-going  habits  and  their  interest 
in  religion  of  any  kind  as  soon  as  they  came  to  the 
Far  East. 

Even  Carteret's  desire  to  stand  well  with  the  Mac- 
Allisters could  not  overcome  his  rooted  aversion  to 
attending  a  Christian  service  of  any  kind.  Mrs.  Mac- 
Allister was  much  surprised  at  his  absence,  in  view  of 
the  readiness  with  which  he  had  expressed  his  opin- 
ions on  the  sincerity  of  the  Chinese  converts  and  his 
apparent  interest  in  matters  spiritual.  She  thought 
that  he  must  be  weary   from  his  duties  during  the 


216  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

week  and  must  feel  the  need  of  resting  on  the  Sab- 
bath. Otherwise  she  was  sure  that  he  would  have 
been  present,  as  he  was  so  much  interested  in 
religion. 

It  might  have  been  a  revelation  to  her  to  have  known 
how  the  pious  young  man  was  at  that  moment  en- 
gaged. In  company  with  Clark,  the  tea-buyer,  and 
two  other  kindred  spirits,  he  was  enjoying  a  game 
of  baccarat,  while  sundry  bottles  of  various  brands 
decorated  the  table.  Before  that  Sabbath  day  reached 
the  midnight  hour,  Clark  and  his  two  companions  were 
to  subside  in  more  or  less  restful  positions  on  the 
floor,  there  to  lie  in  stertorous,  swinish  slumber  till 
well  on  in  the  morrow.  But  Carteret,  who  was 
banker  in  the  game,  though  his  pale  face  was  flushed 
and  his  eyes  were  glassy,  was  able  to  reach  his  room 
with  comparatively  steady  step;  was  able  to  feel  with 
satisfaction  that  in  his  pockets  rested  securely  the 
spare  cash  of  his  three  comrades,  together  with  va- 
rious I.O.U.'s.  He  was  a  pious  young  man,  much 
interested  in  religion,  and  greatly  distressed  by  the 
insincerity  of  the  native  converts. 

Meanwhile,  most  of  those  who  had  been  at  the  serv- 
ice had  accepted  the  consul's  invitation  to  ascend  to 
the  top  of  the  old  Dutch  fort,  and  from  that  lofty 
point  of  vantage  survey  the  scenery  and  watch  any 
movements  on  board  the  French  warships. 

"  What  is  that  away  to  the  northwest,  just  north 
of  where  the  sun  will  set?"  said  Sinclair.  "Is  that 
an  evening  cloud  or  is  it  a  trail  of  smoke  from  a 
steamer?  " 

Commander  Gardenier's  glass  was  on  it  in  an  in- 
stant : 

"  It  is  the  smoke  of  a  steamer,  and  she  is  coming 


HALCYON  DAYS  217 

directly  this  way.  Looks  as  if  she  were  from  Foo- 
chow." 

They  watched  her  while  she  came  over  the  rim  of 
the  horizon  and  drew  rapidly  nearer.  Now  the 
Frenchmen  could  see  her,  and  there  was  a  movement 
on  board.  But  she  evidently  did  not  see  them  against 
the  background  of  the  coast. 

*'  Up  goes  her  flag.  She  sees  the  Frenchman  and 
is  letting  them  know  who  she  is.  She  is  British. 
What  do  you  make  of  her,  Boville?"  handing  him 
the  glass.  "  You  know  most  of  the  boats  along  the 
Coast." 

"  She's  a  long  way  off;  but  she  looks  like  the  Wa- 
verly,  a  tramp.  If  it  is,  she  is  almost  sure  to 
have  contraband  on  board.  By  Jove!  she's  putting 
about!" 

A  long  jet  of  smoke  spirted  out  from  the  Vipere, 
The  report  went  volleying  off  among  the  hills. 

"  A  blank !  "  exclaimed  Gardenier.  "  I  believe  that 
fool  captain  is  going  to  run  for  it.  He's  stoking  for 
all  he's  worth  and  heading  straight  across  the  chan- 
nel. He  must  be  crazy.  He  hasn't  a  chance  in  the 
world." 

"  No,  I  fancy  he  has  no  chance  on  that  smooth  sea," 
replied  Boville.  ''  But  if  there  was  a  gale  blowing, 
or  better  still,  a  typhoon,  Archie  Scott  would  drive 
that  old  tub  of  his  through  at  full  speed,  where 
Monsieur  of  the  Vipere  would  have  to  heave  to." 

But  there  was  no  prospect  of  a  storm  that  calrri 
evening  and  the  warship  was  tearing  through  the  wa- 
ter. Another  jet  of  flame  and  smoke  streamed  out 
from  her.  A  little  plume  of  spray  rose  close  to  the 
bow  of  the  fleeing  steamer. 

"  It's  all  up  with  Archie  this  time,"  laughed  Gar- 


218  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

denier.  ''  The  Frenchman  is  too  fast  for  him.  That 
shot  brought  him  to  his  senses." 

The  daring  little  merchantman  was  boarded,  and 
just  as  the  sun  set  she  was  seen  steaming  back  to- 
wards Foochow,  while  the  Vipere  returned  to  her 
place  of  guard. 

''  This  is  quite  exciting/'  said  Miss  MacAllister. 
"  I  had  little  idea  when  we  sailed  from  Amoy  that 
I  was  going  to  get  so  near  to  actual  war." 

"  I  only  hope  that  you  may  not  get  any  nearer," 
replied  the  consul,  a  little  grimly. 

"Why,  Mr.  Beauchamp?  Do  you  think  that  there 
is  much  prospect  of  there  being  fighting  right  here?  " 

"  I  really  can't  say.  I  don't  know  what  is  in  the 
minds  of  those  Frenchmen.  But  I  do  not  like  the 
way  they  are  acting.  It  is  pretty  much  the  way  they 
manoeuvred  before  they  bombarded  Keelung." 

"  Wouldn't  that  be  great?  To  be  in  the  midst  of  a 
bombardment ! " 

"  It's  not  so  romantic  as  it  is  to  read  about  it  in 
the  papers,"  said  the  consul.  ''  What  do  you  think, 
Sinclair?  Hallo!  What's  this?  Look  here,  doctor, 
I'll  have  you  arrested  for  alienating  the  affections  of 
my  daughter." 

The  remark  caused  all  eyes  to  be  turned  towards 
Sinclair.  He  was  seated  on  one  of  the  battlements. 
On  his  knee  was  perched  Constance  Beauchamp.  One 
arm  was  thrown  around  his  neck.  With  the  other 
hand  she  was  caressing  and  arranging  the  heavy 
waves  of  his  fair  hair.  A  flush  appeared  under  the 
tan  of  his  face.  Before  he  had  time  to  reply  Constance 
broke  in: 

"  Oh,  daddy,  I  was  just  asking  Dr.  Sinclair  why 
he  did  not  let  his  hair  grow  long  and  fall  in  big  curls 


HALCYON  DAYS  219 

on  his  shoulders.  Then  he  would  be  so  handsome. 
He  would  be  just  like  the  picture  of  Harold  Fair- 
Hair,  King  of  Norway,  in  the  last  story-book  Aunt 
Jo  sent  me  from  England.  Dr.  Sinclair,  won't  you 
let  your  hair  grow  ?    Do !    For  me ! " 

Sinclair's  face  had  crimsoned  at  the  sudden  atten- 
tion drawn  to  him  and  the  frank  admiration  of  the 
little  maid.    But  he  was  too  gallant  to  refuse : 

"  I  couldn't  resist  that  appeal.  Til  promise.  I'll 
not  get  my  hair  cut  again  until  you  give  me  leave." 

"  Oh,  goody !  I  knew  you  would  do  it  for  me. 
You're  lovely." 

"  I  admire  your  courage,  doctor,  more  tkan  your 
good  sense,"  laughed  her  father.  "  But  it  is  always 
the  way.  A  big  man  can  be  twisted  around  the  fingers 
of  the  littlest  maid." 

But  the  one  whose  presence  at  this  little  scene  had 
made  the  blood  tingle  in  Sinclair's  face  more  sharply 
than  all  the  others  thought  to  herself : 

"  It  is  a  child's  instinctive  attraction  to  a  true 
man." 

That  scene  on  the  ramparts  of  the  old  Dutch  fort 
became  one  of  the  most  cherished  treasures  in  the 
picture-gallery  of  her  memory. 


XXIII 

IMPENDING  STORMS 

"XT  TELL,  Mr.  De  Vaux,  I  see  that  the  French 
m/V/  fleet  has  arrived.  Has  the  commander 
given  any  intimations  of  his  inten- 
tions  yet  ?  " 

*'  Bless  my  soul,  Mr.  MacAllister !  .  .  .  Is  it  pos- 
sible that  you  have  not  heard?  .  .  .  These  boys  are 
most  exasperating.  They'll  be  the  death  of  me 
yet.  .  .  .  Ton  my  honour,  they  will!  ...  I  was 
with  the  consul  when  Admiral  Lespes'  messenger  ar- 
rived, and  the  consul  gave  me  the  notice  to  read.  .  .  . 
Extraordinarily  decent  of  the  consul !  .  .  .  I  sent  the 
boy  to  you  that  very  minute  with  a  chit.  Did  he  not 
deliver  it?" 

''  Not  yet." 

"  I'll  have  him  flogged,  Mr.  MacAllister.  .  .  .  Ton 
my  soul,  I  will.  ...  It  is  the  only  way  to  deal  with 
them,  Mr.  MacAllister.  .  .  .  Now,  where  can  he 
be?  .  .  .  Stopped  somewhere  along  the  road,  playing 
fantan  and  gambling  away  his  month's  wages!  .  .  . 
By !  .  .  .  Ton  my  word,  I  mean  it's  most  ex- 
asperating. .  .  .  Flogging  is  the  only  thing  to  cure 
them  when  they  start  gambling.  Isn't  that  your  ex- 
perience, Carteret  ?  " 

"  I  think  that  they  all  ought  to  be  flogged,"  replied 
Carteret  languidly.  "  Never  yet  met  a  Chinese  who 
was  good  for  anything." 

"  Opinions  may  differ  on  that  point,  Mr.  Carteret," 
said  Mr.  MacAllister  sharply.     ''  But,  De  Vaux,  you 

220 


IMPENDING  STORMS  221 

have  not  yet  told  me  what  notice  the  French  admiral 
sent." 

"  By !  .  .  .    Bless  my  soul,  I  mean  how  stupid 

of  me!  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons,  Mr.  MacAllis- 
ter.  .  .  .  How  did  I  forget  that?  .  .  .  Those  boys 
annoy  me  so.  I  really  cannot  think  of  what  I  am 
doing.  Ton  my  soul,  I  cannot!  .  .  .  But  Admiral 
Lespes'  notice!  Would  you  believe  it,  he  says  that 
he  will  bombard  the  town  to-morrow  morning  at  seven 
o'clock.  .  .  .    Did  ever  you  hear  of  such  an  atrocity?  " 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  De  Vaux  ?  Did  I  hear  you 
say  just  now  that  Tamsui  was  to  be  bombarded?  Or 
was  I  mistaken?" 

"  Miss  MacAllister,  you  are  perfectly  correct.  .  .  . 
I  am  sure  that  you  are  never  mistaken.  .  .  .  Ton 
my  soul,  I  am!  .  .  .  You  are  quite  right.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  Tamsui  is  to  be  bombarded  in  the 
morning." 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad !  That  is,  I'm  not  glad  that  it  is 
to  be  bombarded.  But  I  am  glad  that  since  it  is  going 
to  happen  it  should  take  place  while  we  are  here.  I 
should  have  been  so  disappointed  to  have  missed  it. 
How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Carteret?" 

"  Since  the  ladies  have  arrived,  we  had  better  pro- 
ceed to  luncheon  at  once,"  said  Mr.  MacAllister. 
"We  do  not  know  what  developments  there  may  be 
this  afternoon." 

As  soon  as  they  were  seated  at  the  table  Mrs.  Mac- 
Allister turned  to  Carteret  and  said : 

"  Do  you  really  think,  Mr.  Carteret,  that  the  lives 
of  the  foreign  residents  will  be  endangered  by  the 
bombardment  ?  " 

"  There  will  be  very  little  danger,  I  assure  you,  Mrs. 
MacAllister.     The  French   will   direct   their  fire  at 


^22  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

the  earthworks  and  the  camps  on  the  downs.  As  soon 
as  they  plump  a  few  shells  among  them  the  whole 
Chinese  army  will  run  like  sheep,  and  the  bombard- 
ment will  be  over." 

"I  am  so  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Mr.  Carteret. 
It  was  what  I  felt  myself.  But  it  is  a  relief  to  know 
that  one  who  has  lived  here  and  knows  the  natives 
is  of  the  same  opinion.  You  think  that  the  French 
will  take  possession  of  the  town  early  in  the  day?  " 

*' Assuredly!  Before  to-morrow  night  there'll  not 
be  a  Chinese  soldier  nearer  than  Taipeh." 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  the  French  are  going  to 
have  it  so  easy  as  that,"  broke  in  De  Vaux.  "  Ton  my 
soul,  I  do  not !  .  .  .  The  Chinese  will  give  them  more 
than  they  reckon  upon.  Mark  my  words.  .  .  .  Dr. 
MacKay  thinks  the  same,  and  he  knows  more  about 
the  Chinese  than  any  of  us." 

"But,  Mr.  De  Vaux,"  replied  Mrs.  MacAllister, 
*'  you  must  remember  that  Dr.  MacKay  is  married 
to  a  Chinese  woman.  Really,  I  never  got  such  a  shock 
as  when  I  heard  that.  My  opinion  of  missionaries 
went  down  to  zero.  To  take  a  Chinese  woman  as  his 
wife!     How  could  he?" 

De  Vaux's  face  became  very  red.  Carteret  main- 
tained his  attitude  of  cynical  composure. 

"  I  suppose  it  was  one  of  the  sacrifices  he  felt  him- 
self called  upon  to  make  in  order  to  do  the  Lord's 
\vork,"  he  replied  sneeringly.  "  These  fanatics  will 
justify  any  insanity  by  claiming  that  the  Lord  com- 
manded them  to  do  it." 

Miss  MacAllister's  colour  deepened.  Her  eyes 
flashed  ominously.  Her  father's  face  was  grave,  to 
the  verge  of  sternness.  Before  either  of  them  could 
speak  De  Vaux  interposed. 


IMPENDING  STORMS  223 

*'  Dr.  MacKay  is  not  the  only  one  who  thinks  that 
the  Chinese  will  put  up  a  resistance,"  he  said.  "  When 
I  was  coming  along,  Dr.  Sinclair  and  Dr.  Black  of  the 
Locust  were  busy  at  the  Mission  Hospital,  getting 
it  ready  to  take  care  of  a  lot  of  wounded.  Ton 
my  honour  as  a  gentleman,  they're  right.     There'll 

be  fighting  here  to-morrow.    By !    I  mean,  'pon 

my  soul,  there  will !  " 

Mrs.  MacAllister  sniffed. 

"  I  do  not  depend  much  on  Dr.  Sinclair's  judg- 
ment," she  said,  "  since  he  went  over  to  Keelung  to 
be  a  surgeon  among  the  Chinese.  I  was  very  much 
surprised  at  him.  I  cannot  understand  how  he  can 
endure  being  among  those  dirty  natives.  It  would 
make  me  sick.  And  to  handle  their  bodies  and  treat 
their  wounds!  .  .  .  It's  loathsome,  perfectly  loath- 
some.   I  am  astonished  at  Dr.  Sinclair." 

**  Dr.  Sinclair  evidently  has  not  your  feelings  about 
it,  Mrs.  MacAllister,"  said  Carteret  in  his  most  con- 
temptuous tone.  "  He  is  a  Canadian,  and  on  his 
paternal  farm  was  probably  not  accustomed  to  any 
more  savoury  surroundings  than  he  finds  among  the 
Chinese.    Doubtless,  he  feels  very  much  at  home." 

The  next  moment  he  bitterly  repented  having 
spoken.  Miss  MacAllister  sat  up  very  straight.  Her 
eyes  gleamed  at  him  like  two  dagger-points.  Her  face 
flushed  crimson,  and  then  paled  with  anger: 

"  Mr.  Carteret,  that  remark  of  yours  was  entirely 
uncalled  for.  Dr.  Sinclair  is  a  gentleman.  You  are 
not  a  gentleman  or  you  would  not  have  made  such 
a  statement." 

''  Oh,  Jessie !  "  cried  her  mother  in  horrified  accents. 
"What  are  you  saying?    You  did  not  mean  that." 

"  I  did  mean  it,  and  I  do  mean  it." 


2U  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Mr.  MacAlIister,  who  usually  with  ready  tact  soft- 
ened such  acerbities,  maintained  a  grim  silence.  De 
Vaux  threw  himself  into  the  breach  and  made  an 
excited,  stuttering  attempt  at  mediation,  compelling 
Miss  MacAlIister  to  laugh  against  her  will. 

In  spite  of  this,  and  in  spite  of  Carteret's  abject 
apology  and  retraction,  a  tense  feeling  pervaded  the 
atmosphere  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  lunch- 
eon, and  all  were  glad  when  it  was  over. 

To  Miss  MacAlIister  the  remainder  of  the  day  was 
no  less  trying.  She  realized  that  her  sudden  flame 
of  indignation  had  surprised  her  into  betraying  to 
prying  and  unfriendly  eyes  feelings  toward  Dr.  Sin- 
clair which  she  had  not  before  dared  to  confess  to 
herself.  She  knew  that  her  mother  had  been  bitterly 
chagrined  by  her  open  espousal  of  the  big  Canadian's 
cause  and  by  the  merciless  snub  she  had  given  that 
ambitious  woman's  pet  aristocrat.  But  she  knew  her 
mother  too  well  to  imagine  for  one  instant  that  this 
scene,  painful  though  it  was,  would  make  her  desist 
from  the  purpose  to  which  she  had  set  her  mind. 
She  had  not  long  to  wait  for  the  proof  of  the  truth 
of  her  conclusions. 

That  afternoon  the  ladies  were  left  pretty  much 
to  their  own  devices.  Some  of  the  men  were  busy 
preparing  for  the  morrow.  Others  who  had  little 
to  do  were  on  the  old  fort  or  other  vantage  points, 
watching  the  warships  which  lay  just  outside  the  har- 
bour, and  were  speculating  in  an  inexpert  fashion  on 
the  probabilities  and  prospects  of  the  following  day. 
All  of  which  speculations  and  prophecies  the  follow- 
ing day  proved  to  be  false.  But  in  the  meantime  the 
idle  ones  grew  eloquent  over  their  own  imaginings, 
and,  like  most  armchair  experts,  persuaded  themselves 


IMPENDING  STORMS  225 

that  they  did  know  something  about  war  and  the  re- 
spective fighting  quaHties  of  French  marines  and 
Chinese  soldiers. 

Taking  advantage  of  her  husband's  absence,  Mrs. 
MacAllister  called  her  daughter  into  her  room.  After 
some  preliminary  fencing,  she  plunged  into  the  sub- 
ject she  had  in  mind: 

"  There  is  no  need  of  my  concealing  from  you,  Jes- 
sie, how  deeply  I  was  grieved  and  disappointed  by 
your  conduct  towards  Mr.  Carteret  to-day." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  hurt  your  feelings, 
mother.  But  I  am  not  sorry  for  telling  Mr.  Carteret 
the  truth  and  giving  him  what  he  deserved." 

"  I  do  not  understand  what  you  mean  by  saying 
that  you  gave  Mr.  Carteret  what  he  deserved." 

"  Mother,  Mr.  Carteret  took  advantage  of  his  privi- 
leges as  our  guest  and  of  the  friendship  we  have 
showed  him  to  make  an  unwarranted  and  ungentle- 
manly  attack  on  another  friend  of  ours,  who  has  also 
been  our  guest." 

"  Tut,  tut,  Jessie !  Mr.  Carteret  did  not  say  any- 
thing about  Dr.  Sinclair  which  should  make  any  sensi- 
ble person  angry." 

"  He  made  statements  about  Dr.  Sinclair  which 
were  not  true;  and  he  made  them  in  the  most  insult- 
ing way  possible." 

"  That  is  merely  a  matter  of  opinion,  my  dear.  Dr. 
Sinclair  himself  acknowledged  that  he  was  born  and 
reared  on  a  Canadian  farm.  And  though  I  will  ac- 
knowledge that  he  has  done  remarkably  well,  consid- 
ering that,  to  a  gentleman  of  Mr.  Carteret's  birth 
and  training  he  is  just  a  peasant,  nothing  more  than 
a  common  peasant." 

"  Then,  mother,  to  Mr.  Carteret  we  are  just  peas- 


226  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

ants,  nothing  more  than  common  peasants.  Your  fa- 
ther was  a  shepherd,  and  father's  was  a  peasant 
farmer." 

Mrs.  MacAUister  coloured  at  the  thrust,  but  tried 
to  evade  it. 

"  Jessie,"  she  said,  "  what  is  the  use  of  always  hu- 
miliating your  father  and  mother  by  continually  re- 
minding them  that  they  were  born  poor?  We  have 
risen  above  that  now  and  associate  with  the  best  in 
the  land.  People  should  be  judged  by  what  they  are, 
and  not  by  what  they  were  born  to." 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  think,  mother.  By  that 
standard  Dr.  Sinclair,  who  was  born  on  a  Canadian 
farm,  is  a  gentleman.  And  Mr.  Carteret,  who  was 
born  in  an  English  castle,  is  not  a  gentleman." 

"  For  shame,  Jessie,  to  talk  like  that !  You  have 
no  right  to  say  that  of  Mr.  Carteret.  You  humili- 
ated him  at  our  own  table  to-day,  and  he  bore  it 
like  a  gentleman." 

"  Like  a  coward,  you  mean !  " 

"  And  by  getting  indignant  on  behalf  of  Dr.  Sin- 
clair," continued  the  mother,  without  paying  any  heed 
to  the  daughter's  interjection,  "  you  practically  said 
to  everybody  that  you  were  in  love  with  him." 

"  I  said  no  such  thing," 

"  Both  Mr.  De  Vaux  and  Mr.  Carteret  understood 
it  that  way." 

"  I  don't  care  a  fig  what  they  understood." 

''  And  when  Dr.  Sinclair  hears  of  it  he  will  under- 
stand it  the  same  way." 

"  He  will  do  no  such  thing.  He  is  too  much  of  a 
man." 

Miss  MacAUister  spoke  bravely.  But  the  thrust 
had  gone  home.    H  there  was  one  thing  she  dreaded, 


IMPENDING  STORMS  227 

it  was  the  thought  that  she  should  make  herself  cheap, 
that  she  should  appear  to  offer  her  love  instead  of 
having  her  love  sought  and  won.  The  thought  stung. 
But  she  would  not  acknowledge  it. 

"  Jessie,  has  Dr.  Sinclair  spoken  to  you  of  mar- 
riage ?  " 

''  Mother,  I  cannot  understand  what  makes  you 
imagine  such  things.  Dr.  Sinclair  has  never  spoken 
of  the  subject  of  marriage,  even  in  the  remotest  and 
most  impersonal  way." 

"  Has  he  ever  told  you  that  he  loves  you  ?  " 

"  Mother,  I  refuse  to  discuss  this  subject  any 
further.     It  is  absurd." 

"  You  may  say  that  it  is  absurd  if  you  wish,  Jes- 
sie. But,  after  the  way  you  acted  to-day,  I  thought 
that  there  must  surely  be  some  ground  for  your  cham- 
pionship of  him." 

Again  the  implication  stung.  Had  she  been  mak- 
ing herself  cheap?  Was  her  secret  which  she  had 
refused  to  acknowledge  to  herself  laid  bare  before 
everybody?  She  winced  at  the  thought.  But  she 
said  nothing. 

Her  mother  pursued  her  advantage : 

"  Now,  Mr.  Carteret  has  followed  the  only  course 
open  to  a  gentleman  of  birth  and  breeding.  He  has 
honourably  come  to  your  father  and  mother  and  has 
asked  our  permission  to  be  considered  a  suitor  for 
your  hand." 

"Was  that  permission  given?" 

"  Jessie,  what  do  you  take  us  for  ?  Do  you  think 
that  we  have  no  care  about  your  future?  The  heir 
presum.ptive  to  the  title  and  estates  of  Lewesthorpe 
would  be  considered  one  of  the  catches  of  a  London 
season." 


228  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Mother,  tell  me,  did  father  accept  Mr.  Carteret 
as  a  prospective  lover  and  husband  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,   certainly.  .  .  .     That   is You   know 

your  father's  way.  ...  He  did  not  put  it  in  so  many 
words,  but  he  gave  what  was  equivalent  to  his  con- 
sent." 

"That  is  to  say  that  father  told  Mr.  Carteret  I 
could  choose  for  myself.  Now,  mother,  is  that  not 
what  father  said  ?  " 

"  Well,  perhaps  it  was  something  like  that.  But, 
at  any  rate,  it  was  the  same  thing  as  giving  his  con- 
sent. He  made  no  objections  to  Mr.  Carteret's  trying 
to  win  you." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  thought.  Of  course  you  gave 
your  hearty  consent  and  approval." 

"  Certainly,  my  daughter.  What  kind  of  a  mother 
would  I  be  if  a  handsome  and  accomplished  young 
gentleman,  a  gentleman  of  birth  and  prospects,  should 
offer  you  his  heart  and  hand, — what  kind  of  a  mother 
would  I  be  not  to  encourage  his  suit?  " 

"  Then,  mother,  he  can  keep  his  heart  and  hand. 
I  will  have  none  of  them." 

"  Jessie,  do  not  make  rash  statements,  which  you 
may  regret.  I  am  not  asking  you  to  promise  to  marry 
Mr.  Carteret.  I  only  asked  you  to  give  him  a  chance 
to  win  your  love." 

'*  Mother,  it  is  no  use.  I'll  never  love  Mr. 
Carteret." 

''  But,  Jessie,  think  of  his  prospects.  His  father 
is  a  feeble  old  man.  His  death  is  expected  any  day. 
The  present  heir  has  only  one  lung." 

"  I  don't  care  if  he  had  only  quarter  of  one  lung. 
It  would  make  no  difference  to  me." 

"  But,  Jessie,  stop  and  think  of  it.    Mr.  Carteret  will 


IMPENDING  STORMS  229 

then  be  Lord  Lewesthorpe,  and  you  would  be  the 
Countess  of  Lewesthorpe." 

"  Mother,  there  is  no  use  in  your  talking  like  that. 
I  do  not  care  if  he  were  the  Prince  of  Wales.  I 
would  not  pledge  myself  to  try  to  love  a  man  whom  I 
do  not  respect." 

"Jessie,  I  am  bitterly  disappointed  in  you.  You 
are  all  I  have.  If  Allister  were  living  it  would  be 
different."  Tears,  real  tears,  of  grief  and  mortifica- 
tion sprang  into  the  older  woman's  eyes  and  began 
to  roll  down  her  cheeks.  "  If  I  had  Allister,  it  would 
be  different.  He  would  build  up  the  family.  But  I 
have  only  you,  and  you  will  not  do  anything  I  wish. 
I  am  grievously  disappointed." 

"  Mother,  you  are  not  fair  to  me.  I  have  tried 
to  do  what  you  wanted.  But  you  are  asking  of  me 
what  I  cannot  do.  I  cannot  give  myself  body  and 
soul  to  a  man  I  despise,  a  man  I  can  never  love." 

''  But  think  of  the  title,  Jessie,  and  the  estates,  and 
the  old  mansion  built  in  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 
And  think  of  the  place  you  would  have  in  society. 
You  would  learn  to  love  him  if  you  would  only  let 
yourself." 

"  Mother,  is  it  possible  that  you  think  that  I  could 
love  a  man  for  these  things?  I  must  love  hhn  for 
himself,  or  not  at  all." 

"  Then  I  suppose  that  you  will  tell  that  low-born, 
penniless  Canadian  doctor  that  you  love  him,"  said 
her  mother  bitterly.  "  Next  thing  you'll  be  wanting 
to  marry  him  and  settle  down  here  as  a  missionary 
among  those  dirty  Chinese." 

The  taunt  stung  again  as  it  had  stung  before.  The 
quick  blood  flamed  into  her  face  and  passionately  she 
flashed  back: 


£30  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  intention  of  marrying 
Dr.   Sinclair." 

It  was  the  defiant  answer  of  maidenly  pride,  fired 
by  the  insinuation  that  she  had  allowed  her  feelings 
to  cause  her  to  transgress  the  limits  of  maidenly  re- 
serve. In  her  sudden  anger  she  was  fighting  against 
the  dictates  of  her  own  heart. 

But  her  mother,  in  the  determination  to  satisfy  her 
pitiful  ambition,  did  not  hesitate  to  seize  the  unfair 
advantage  and  wrest  her  daughter's  words,  giving 
them  a  meaning  which  had  not  been  intended: 

**  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  say,  Jessie,  that  you 
will  not  marry  Dr.  Sinclair.  Your  attitude  towards 
him  the  last  few  days  gave  to  me  as  well  as  to  others, 
and  I  am  quite  sure  to  Dr.  Sinclair  himself,  the  im- 
pression that  you  were  in  love  with  him.  I  am  glad 
to  have  it  from  your  own  lips  that  it  was  nothing  more 
than  a  passing  fancy,  a  harmless  flirtation." 

Miss  MacAllister  waited  to  hear  no  more.  She 
could  not  contradict  her  mother's  artful  twisting  of 
her  words  without  confessing  her  love.  She  could 
not  do  that,  for  Dr.  Sinclair  had  not  confessed  his, 
nor  had  he  asked  for  hers.  She  was  trapped.  Her 
mother  had  trapped  her  and  she  could  find  no  escape. 

She  fled  from  her  mother's  room,  ran  to  her  own, 
and  in  a  passion  of  tears  of  anger  and  shame  threw 
herself  on  a  couch.  Was  what  her  mother  had  said 
true?  Had  she  exposed  her  heart  to  the  vulgar  gaze? 
Did  they  all  think  that  she  was  offering  her  love 
to  Sinclair  without  its  being  sought  ?  She  would  teach 
them.    They  would  not  say  that  again. 


XXIV 

THE  BALL  BEGINS 

BOOM!  Boom! 
Two  jets  of  smoke  spirted  out  from  the  new 
earth  battery  on  the  spur  of  the  hill  running 
down  to  the  pilot  village  by  the  beach.  The  light  sea- 
breeze  met  them,  lifted  them  in  balloon-shaped  clouds, 
and  carried  them  slowly  backwards  over  the  battery 
and  against  the  hills.  The  earth  trembled  with  the 
heavy  explosions  of  the  Krupps.  One  shell  splashed 
a  little  to  the  left  of  the  Triomphante^  and  a  trifle 
short.  The  other  plume  of  spray  rose  directly  be- 
yond the  warship  and  so  close  that  it  showed  how  near 
the  Chinese  gunner  had  come  to  his  target. 

"  By  Jove !  the  Chinese  have  opened  the  ball.  They 
did  not  wait  for  the  Frenchman  to  start.  It's  only 
twenty  to  seven." 

The  consul  clicked  his  watch  shut  as  he  spoke,  and 
turned  his  binoculars  on  the  French  fleet.  Sinclair 
and  Sergeant  Gorman,  who  stood  with  him  on  the  top 
of  the  old  fort,  had  their  glasses  turned  in  the  same 
direction.  They  had  not  long  to  wait.  On  board  the 
Triomphante  men  could  be  seen  running  to  their  sta- 
tions. In  less  than  two  minutes  a  puff  of  smoke 
streaming  out  from  her  told  that  the  duel  was  on. 
Before  the  boom  of  the  big  naval  gun  had  travelled 
across  the  intervening  two  miles  or  more  of  space 
other  jets  of  smoke  poured  out  from  the  Triomphante, 
the  Galissonniere,  and  the  Duguay  Trouin  as  they  lay 

231 


23^  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

strung  across  the  mouth  of  the  harbour.  To  the 
north  and  east  of  the  first  of  these  a  httle  cloud,  rising 
and  floating  on  the  breeze,  told  where  the  Vipere  lay 
close  in  shore,  hidden  from  sight  by  the  hills. 

The  second  of  October  had  come,  and  with  it  the 
bombardment.  In  spite  of  its  imminence,  most  of 
the  foreign  residents  were  calmly  enjoying  their  morn- 
ing nap  when  the  tempest  broke  upon  them.  Of 
course  there  were  exceptions.  The  officers  and  men 
of  the  Locust  were  at  their  places,  ready  for  any 
duty.  Dr.  MacKay's  working  day  had  begun  hours 
before.  The  commissioner  of  customs  had  been  down 
to  the  offices  to  take  a  last  inventory  before  the  storm 
of  iron  and  fire  in  which  they  were  likely  to  be  de- 
stroyed should  begin.  He  had  been  joined  by  Mr. 
MacAllister  and  his  daughter,  who  were  looking  for  a 
point  of  vantage  from  which  to  see  the  opening  of 
the  battle.  These  and  the  group  at  the  consulate  were 
the  only  ones  astir.  The  rest  were  peacefully  slum- 
bering, prolonging  the  morning  doze  to  the  last 
moment,  though  they  knew  that  the  bombardment 
was  announced  to  commence  at  seven  o'clock 
sharp. 

Their  drowse  was  rudely  broken  in  upon.  Within 
fifteen  minutes  from  when  the  first  gun  was  fired 
the  four  ships  and  the  Chinese  batteries  were  putting 
up  a  tremendous  concert.  The  earth  rocked  with  the 
bellowings  of  the  great  guns  and  the  bursting  of  shells. 
The  Triomphante  and  the  Galissonniere  ever  and  anon 
alternated  a  broadside  with  the  independent  firing  of 
single  guns.  Even  Carteret  was  awakened  when  the 
windows  of  his  room  were  shattered  and  a  great  slab 
of  plaster  fell  from  the  ceiling,  bringing  his  mosquito 
curtain  down  on  top  of  him  in  a  tangled  ruin. 


THE  BALL  BEGINS  253 

"  You  will  be  going  down  to  the  hospital  shortly, 
doctor  ?  "  said  the  consul. 

"  Yes,  if  the  French  keep  it  up  like  this,  I  guess  we'll 
have  something  to  do  there." 

"  Will  you  drop  into  Thomson's  and  tell  them  that 
my  wife  and  Constance  will  call  for  them  in  a 
few  minutes  and  accompany  them  to  the  rendez- 
vous ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  them." 

"  And  Dr..  MacKay  and  his  family — do  you  think 
that  there  is  any  use  of  our  trying  again  to  get  him 
to  go  to  some  safer  place  ?  " 

"  No,  there  is  no  use.  He  has  his  students  there, 
and  a  lot  of  his  preachers  and  converts  with  their 
wives  and  families.  To  send  them  to  any  of  the  in- 
terior towns  would  mean  Sin-tiam  over  again.  They 
are  in  less  danger  here  from  the  French  shells  than 
they  would  be  from  the  heathen  mobs.  He  will  not 
leave  them.  If  they  are  going  to  be  in  danger,  he 
will  be  in  danger  with  them." 

"  I  fancied  that  it  would  be  that  way  with  him. 
Well,  I  think  all  the  more  of  him  for  it.  Now  I 
must  go  and  get  my  family  down  to  the  rendezvous 
and  see  that  the  rest  of  the  British  residents  are  un- 
der the  best  cover  possible.  Hallo!  Who's  that  on 
the  beach  road  below  the  custom  house  ?  " 

"The  commissioner,  Mr.  MacAllister,  and  Miss 
MacAllister,"  said  Sinclair,  who  had  his  glasses  on 
them. 

"  What  the  deuce  are  they  doing  there  ?  " 

"  Looking  for  a  good  place  from  which  to  see  the 
fun,"  laughed  Sinclair,  though  his  face  showed  more 
anxiety  than  mirth. 

"  Boville  ought  to  have  more  sense,"  snapped  the 


234*  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

consul.  "  Last  evening  he  was  in  a  great  fluster  about 
seeing  that  everybody  was  safe  at  the  rendezvous  be- 
fore the  ball  began.  But  I  suppose  that  Miss  Mac- 
Allister  has  coaxed  him,  and  he  couldn't  resist." 

''  Quite  likely,"  replied  the  doctor,  while  an  odd 
little  smile  played  around  his  eyes  and  the  corners 
of  his  mouth.  "  They  are  turning  back  now.  Mr. 
MacAllister  has  taken  charge.  He  has  the  young  lady 
by  the  arm  and  they  are  heading  for  home." 

"  By  Jove !  she  needs  some  one  whom  she  can't 
twist  round  her  fingers." 

The  two  men  laughed;  Sinclair  a  little  doubtfully, 
as  if  he  was  not  too  sure  that  such  a  thing  was  pos- 
sible; the  consul  with  the  air  of  conscious  superiority 
which  needs  not  fear.  They  little  knew  what  the 
day  had  in  store  for  them. 

"  We  must  be  off.  It's  getting  pretty  hot  over 
there,  and  it  may  swing  around  this  way  any  minute. 
Sergeant,  would  you  stay  here  a  little  while  and 
watch  Monsieur  Lespesf  If  he  seems  inclined  to  pay 
his  compliments  to  the  town  as  well  as  to  the  bat- 
teries, run  up  the  red  signal.  But  don't  stay  here 
after  this  is  in  the  line  of  fire.  I  don't  want  you 
to  get  your  head  knocked  off." 

''  Very  good,  sir !  I  shall  thry  not  to  come  down 
to  you  wid  me  head  in  me  hand." 

Sinclair  and  the  consul  ran  down  the  dark  stair- 
way within  the  old  fort  and  hurried  away,  the  lat- 
ter to  his  house  close  by,  the  former  to  MacKay's 
to  get  his  instruments  and  then  to  Thomson's  to  give 
them  the  consul's  message.  Gorman  stood  alone  on 
his  watch-tower,  looking  out  upon  the  scene. 

The  solid  old  memorial  of  Dutch  and  Chinese  work- 
manship stood  on  the  most  prominent  angle  of  the 


THE  BALL  BEGINS  235 

hill  which  thrust  itself  forward  towards  the  sea.  For 
two  and  a  half  centuries  it  had  braved  siege  and  storm 
and  the  wasting  forces  of  tropical  typhoons,  of  rain 
and  sun  and  clinging,  insidious  tropical  vegetation. 
In  a  line  with  it,  along  the  brow  of  the  hill  facing 
the  harbour,  were  the  consul's  house,  Dr.  MacKay's 
bungalow  and  that  of  his  colleague,  and  the  residences 
of  the  customs  officers.  Just  behind  MacKay's  house 
were  the  two  mission  schools.  In  a  parallel  line  be- 
low the  hill  and  mostly  close  to  the  shore  were  the 
customs  house,  then  after  a  considerable  interval  Mac- 
Allister,  Munro  Co.'s,  Reid  &  Co.'s,  Dr.  Bergmann's 
house,  and  the  Mission  Hospital,  right  in  the  native 
town.  Away  at  the  far  end  of  the  town,  a  mile  be- 
yond the  other  foreign  residences  on  a  little  eminence 
facing  the  river,  were  the  house  and  godowns  of  Scott 
&  Co.,  known  as  Peeatow.  Over  each  foreign  build- 
ing flew  the  British  flag,  save  where  Dr.  Bergmann 
had  hoisted  the  flag  of  his  fatherland.  Out  in  mid- 
stream, right  in  front  of  MacAllister,  Munro  Co.'s, 
the  trim,  workmanlike  Locust  floated  on  the  rising 
tide. 

The  residence  and  godowns  of  Mr.  MacAllister's 
firm  had  been  chosen  as  the  rendezvous.  They  were 
in  a  sheltered  position  in  what  was  almost  a  little 
cove  between  the  hill  and  the  river.  There  Com- 
mander Gardenier  had  sent  a  force  of  ten  blue- 
jackets under  a  petty  officer.  As  Gorman  moved  his 
glass  from  point  to  point  to  fix  all  in  his  memory,  a 
boat  pulled  away  from  the  Locust,  carrying  another 
guard  of  eight  men  to  Peeatow,  where  a  number  of 
foreigners  had  elected  to  remain,  because  of  its  dis- 
tance from  the  ships  of  war. 

The  sergeant  turned  again  to  the  artillery   duel. 


236  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

All  over  the  open  downs  to  the  north  shells  were  fur- 
rowing the  hard,  dry  soil,  ricochetting  from  knoll  to 
knoll,  and  exploding  harmlessly  on  the  grass.  The 
points  where  the  fewest  shells  fell  were  the  hollows 
in  which  the  Chinese  camps  were  sheltered.  In  spite 
of  the  hurtling  showers  of  projectiles  which  at 
times  filled  the  air,  these  seemed  to  be  practically  im- 
mune. 

'*  Howly  Moses ! "  said  Gorman  to  himself,  "  if 
that's  the  kind  of  shootin'  the  Frinchies  do,  the  only 
safe  spot  in  tin  square  miles  is  the  man  they're  aimin' 
at." 

Then  a  great,  clumsy  blue-grey  water  buffalo,  the 
draught  beast  of  the  island,  disturbed  in  its  accus- 
tomed pasture  grounds  by  thundering  guns  and  crack- 
ing shells,  went  lumbering  across  the  common  a  short 
distance  away.  Its  ugly  snout  was  thrown  forward, 
its  great  curved  horns  laid  back  against  its  shoulders. 
A  shell  plumped  into  the  ground  under  its  belly  and, 
exploding  instantly,  blew  the  buffalo  into  ten  thou- 
sand fragments. 

"  Furst  casuality !  "  exclaimed  Gorman.  "  Private 
Wather  Buffalo  of  the  Furst  Battalion,  Tamsui  Blues, 
General  Soon's  heavy  brigade.  Turned  into  mince 
meat.  Chewed  and  partly  digested.  Dead  and  mostly 
missin'." 

The  next  instant  it  was: 

"  May  the  divil  fly  away  wid  that  gunner !  Fwhat 
the  blazes  does  he  mane  by  shootin'  there?  Does  the 
omadhaun  think  that  he  has  killed  all  the  haythen 
Chinese  in  the  island,  that  now  he's  thryin'  to  kill  the 
Christian  white  people?" 

A  shell  from  the  Galissonniere  had  passed  in  a  great 
arc  over  his  head.     Its  sound  was  that  of  a  long- 


THE  BALL  BEGINS  237 

drawn  whine  mingled  with  the  rush  of  a  sudden 
gust  of  wind.  It  exploded  between  the  Girls'  School 
and  Dr.  MacKay's  house. 

"  If  it's  the  Chinese  he's  tryin'  to  hit,  I  wud  call 
that  a  mortial  bad  shot.  I'll  wait  to  see  if  that  wan 
was  only  an  accident,  or  if  they're  goin'  to  presint  us 
wid  anny  more." 

He  did  not  wait  long.  Another  rush  and  whine 
and  a  shell  passed  a  little  to  his  left,  almost  on  a  level 
with  the  spot  where  he  stood  and,  exploding  on  the 
common  just  back  of  Thomson's  bungalow,  threw  a 
cloud  of  earth  high  in  the  air. 

That  was  enough.  The  red  flag  fluttered  up  to  the 
top  of  the  tall  signal  staff,  from  which  it  did  not 
come  down  for  more  than  twelve  hours. 

A  moment  later  the  consul  came  out  of  his  house, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  little  daughter  and  a 
couple  of  native  servants,  to  make  their  perilous  way 
to  the  rendezvous.  He  glanced  up  at  the  danger 
signal : 

"  Are  they  at  it  already,  sergeant  ?  " 

"  They  are,  sir;  the  worse  luck  to  thim.  Make  the 
best  time  you  can,  sir,  an'  march  in  open  order." 

"  Thank  you,  sergeant.  But  don't  you  stay  up 
there  to  be  hit.  You  can't  be  of  any  more  service 
now.  Get  to  cover  somewhere.  You  might  be  needed 
at  the  hospital." 

"Very  good,  sir." 

The  consul's  little  group  strung  out  along  the  nar- 
row road  following  the  brow  of  the  hill  past  the  two 
mission  houses.  As  they  came  to  Dr.  MacKay's  they 
saw  the  missionary  pacing  to  and  fro  on  his  verandah. 
The  consul  called  to  him: 

"  Not  very  safe  there,  Dr.  MacKay.     I  think  you 


238  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

had  better  do  as  the  rest  are  doing,  bring  your  family 
down  into  the  shelter  below  the  hill." 

The  missionary  stopped  his  rapid,  nervous  pacing 
backward  and  forward,  lifted  his  hat  in  salute,  and 
replied : 

''  Thank  you,  Mr.  Beauchamp.  I  have  all  the  pro- 
tection I  need :  '  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  ter- 
ror by  night,  nor  for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day.'  " 

As  they  spoke  a  projectile  drove  deep  into  the 
ground  of  the  garden  between  them,  but  did  not  ex- 
plode. Undisturbed,  the  missionary  resumed  his  walk- 
ing up  and  down,  while  the  consul  hurried  after  his 
family.  At  their  gate  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomson, 
accompanied  by  Dr.  Sinclair,  joined  them. 

*'  Run  for  it !  Run !  "  Beauchamp  shouted  as  the 
now  familiar  rush  and  moan  of  a  shell  was  heard. 
The  nimblest  of  them  had  hardly  quickened  their 
pace  when  it  hit  the  very  edge  of  the  almost  perpen- 
dicular cliff  a  few  yards  behind  them,  ricochetted  at 
an  angle  to  its  original  course,  and  plunged  into  the 
harbour.  Without  more  ceremony  they  did  run, 
stringing  out  until  separated  by  wide  intervals,  turned 
sharply  down  the  face  of  the  hill  by  a  narrow  path 
and  stone  steps  which  led  under  some  spreading 
banians,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  at  the  door  of 
the  rendezvous.  The  shells  screamed  through  the  air 
overhead,  skipped  along  on  the  hard  earth  of  the 
hills,  or  splashed  into  the  river  below. 

"  Wasn't  that  fun,  daddy  ?  You  should  have  been 
able  just  to  see  you  and  mother  run.  It  w^as  better 
than  a  show." 

The  consul's  little  daughter  was  dancing  and  clap- 
ping her  hands  with   delight. 

**  Not  much  fun  that  I  could  see,  Constance,"  re- 


THE  BALL  BEGINS  239 

plied  her  father  grimly.  "  I  prefer  some  other  kind 
of  a  show." 

"  Oh,  I  like  this  best,  father.  And  it  would  have 
been  ever  so  much  more  fun  if  Mr.  De  Vaux  had  been 
with  us.  Wouldn't  it  have  been  great  to  see  him  run, 
hear  him  puff,  and  say,  *  Bless  my  soul '  ?  " 

"  That  will  do,  Constance.  It  wouldn't  have  been 
very  great  if  one  of  us  had  got  blown  up  by  a  shell." 

'*  But,  daddy,  we  had  Dr.  Sinclair  with  us.  He 
would  have  fixed  us  up." 

*'  Sublime  faith !  By  Jove !  doctor,  you  have  an 
admirer  here  who  will  not  go  back  on  you." 

Sinclair  laughed,  slipped  his  arm  around  the  little 
maid  as  she  pressed  to  his  side,  ran  his  fingers  through 
the  heavy,  dark-brown  curls,  smiled  into  those  frank 
child  eyes  which  looked  so  straight  into  his,  and  passed 
on  to  the  hospital  to  join  Drs.  Black  and  Bergmann. 

Meanwhile,  Sergeant  Gorman,  coming  from  the 
consulate  towards  the  town,  had  stopped  to  ask  Dr. 
MacKay  if  there  was  any  service  he  could  render. 

"  From  the  way  the  Frenchmen  are  shootin',  I  do 
not  expect  that  we'll  have  manny  cases  in  the  hospital, 
barrin'  it  may  be  some  of  ourselves,  if  there's  anny  of 
us  left  to  patch  the  rest  together.  So  I  moight  as  well 
be  doin'  an  odd  job  for  you,  if  there's  annything  that 
would  be  of  service  to  you." 

*' Nothing  that  I  know  of  just  now,  sergeant! 
Nothing!  We  have  made  all  the  preparations  we 
could  think  of.  We  are  in  the  hands  of  God.  But 
your  offer  is  itself  a  service.     I  thank  you." 

A  shell  drove  into  the  ground  in  a  plantation  of 
young  banian  trees  just  to  the  west  of  the  house.  Its 
explosion  threw  up  a  miniature  volcanic  eruption  of 
gravel. 


^40  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"Bedad,  Dr.  MacKay,  I  have  been  safer  in  nianny 
a  battlefield  than  we  are  at  this  very  minute." 

''  *  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  and  my 
deliverer;  my  God,  my  strong  rock,  in  Him  will  I 
trust.'  " 

'*  Thin,  sir,  you  have  better  fortifications  around 
you  than  a  great  manny  of  us  have." 

A  petty  officer  from  the  Locust  came  up  the  garden 
walk,  saluted,  and  said : 

"Are  you  Dr.  MacKay,  sir?" 
1  am. 

"  Commander  Gardenier  sent  me  to  present  his  com- 
pliments, and  to  invite  you  to  bring  your  family  and 
your  valuables  and  come  on  board  the  Locust.  He 
says  that  you  are  in  great  danger  here  and  that  no 
place  on  shore  is  safe.  A  boat  is  waiting  at  the  jetty, 
sir." 

His  words  were  interrupted  by  the  weird  moan  of 
a  shell,  followed  by  an  ear-splitting  crack.  The  air 
was  full  of  smoke  and  dust  and  flying  fragments  of 
metal  and  stone.  It  had  struck  a  big  boulder  directly 
in  front  of  the  house,  on  the  edge  of  the  narrow  road 
at  the  foot  of  the  garden. 

As  they  recovered  from  the  shock,  MacKay  was 
speaking  as  quietly  as  if  nothing  had  happened: 

'*  Give  Commander  Gardenier  my  thanks.  Tell  him 
that  I  am  deeply  indebted  to  him  for  his  thoughtful- 
ness.  Say  to  him  that  I  have  no  valuables  save  these." 
He  swept  his  arm  around  the  semi-circle  of  native 
converts,  preachers,  students,  and  simple  believers. 
"  He  could  not  accommodate  all  these.  It  is  not  his 
duty.  They  are  subjects  of  China.  But  these  are  my 
valuables,  my  children  in  the  Lord.  Since  I  cannot 
take  them  with  me,  I  shall  stay  with  them." 


THE  BALL  BEGINS  Ml 

"  I  shall  tell  him,  sir." 

The  sailor  saluted  and  withdrew. 

When  Sergeant  Gorman  told  Sinclair  of  it  at  the 
hospital  he  said: 

"  I  was  born  a  Catholic,  an'  I'll  die  a  Catholic.  But 
whin  I  see  that  man  up  there  on  the  hill  an'  thin  think 
of  that  college  in  Skibbereen,  an'  the  priests  that  have 
me  little  farm,  that  isn't  mine  neither,  at  Sleeahtbally- 
mackcurraghalicky,  I'll  tell  ye  it  isn't  the  memory  of 
the  priests  that  kapes  me  a  Catholic.  It  is  because  I 
am  an  Irishman  an'  I  hate  the  name  of  a  turncoat." 


XXV 

THE  BALL  PROCEEDS 

"f  ■  iHIS  is  a  sudden  and  unceremonious  inroad 
I  of  uninvited  guests,  Mr.  MacAllister,"  said 
-■'  the  consul  as  he  entered.  "  Awfully  sorry 
to  crowd  you  so." 

*' There's  no  necessity  for  apologies,  Mr.  Beau- 
champ.  We  are  only  too  glad  to  share  with  all  any 
shelter  or  safety  our  situation  may  afford.  Will  you 
not  stay  and  be  as  comfortable  as  the  circumstances 
will  allow?" 

"  Thanks,  very  much.  I  cannot  stay  just  now.  I 
see  that  you  have  every  one  from  the  hill  except  Mac- 
Kay  and  his  family  and  those  who  are  at  the  hospital. 
But  there  are  others  who  have  taken  refuge  at  Scott 
&  Co.'s  bungalow.  I  want  to  look  in  at  the  hospital, 
and  then  go  on  to  Peeatow.  I  shall  leave  this  party 
in  your  care  and  that  of  Boville.  If  it  gets  too  hot 
here,  signal  Gardenier,  and  he  will  take  you  all  on 
board.    I  shall  be  back  in  an  hour." 

He  was  off,  following  the  narrow,  crooked,  rough- 
paved  Chinese  street,  his  quick,  nervous  step  carrying 
him  rapidly  on  his  tour  of  inspection. 

Mr.  MacAllister  went  up  to  the  living-rooms  where 
the  ladies  were  with  De  Vaux,  Thomson  the  mission- 
ary, Clark  the  tea-buyer,  Boville,  Carteret,  and  prac- 
tically the  whole  customs  staff.  The  house  never 
ceased  shaking  with  the  continual  discharge  of  the 
cannon.    Ever  and  anon  the  sharp  splitting  crash  of  a 

242 


THE  BALL  PROCEEDS  24S 

bursting  shell,  some  nearer,  some  farther  away,  gave 
the  nervous  a  start.  Less  frequently  could  be  heard, 
even  within  the  house,  the  mingled  whine  and  whirr 
of  a  passing  projectile. 

Not  one  of  the  ladies  showed  a  sign  of  fear.  Mrs. 
Beauchamp  was  quiet  and  self-controlled.  Perhaps 
there  was  a  trace  of  anxiety  as  her  eye  followed  the 
light,  fawn-like  movements  of  Constance,  or  when 
she  thought  of  her  husband  out  trying  to  assure  him- 
self of  the  safety  of  others.  But  there  was  no  fear. 
Mrs.  MacAllister  was  at  her  best.  Whatever  her 
faults  might  be,  timidity  was  not  one  of  them.  She 
belonged  to  a  war-like  people.  Her  colour  was  high. 
Her  dark  eyes  shone  with  a  strange  fire.  She  looked 
a  score  of  years  younger  than  she  was.  Her  husband 
was  struck  by  the  change  in  her.  He  found  an  oppor- 
tunity to  say: 

"  You  look  beautiful  to-day,  Flora." 

"  I  am  thinking  of  you,  Hector.  If  you  have 
to  go  out  into  danger,  I  want  to  go  with  you. 
Now  I  know  why  Allister  would  be  a  soldier. 
And  I  know  what  Jessie  would  mean  when  she 
says  she  wishes  she  wass  a  man.  I  nefer  knew 
before." 

She  was  deeply  moved.  The  instinct  of  a  fighting 
race  had  suddenly  come  to  life  with  the  sound  of  bat- 
tle, and  the  accent  of  her  childhood's  speech  was  back 
upon  her  tongue. 

She  looked  around  for  her  daughter.  Miss  Mac- 
Allister was  standing  near  a  window,  talking  to  Bo- 
ville.  She  was  drawn  up  to  her  full  height,  dwarfing 
the  rotund  commissioner  of  customs.  Her  cheeks 
were  burning.  Her  eyes  had  an  almost  unnatural 
light.    Her  bosom  was  heaving  with  the  short,  quick 


2U  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

breath  of  one  in  struggle.  Perhaps  for  the  first  time 
in  her  life  Mrs.  MacAllister  understood  her  daugh- 
ter's feelings.  But  she  did  not  understand  how  much 
their  interview  of  the  day  before  had  added  to  their 
intensity. 

*'  Mr.  Boville,  I  really  cannot  stay  in  here  and  not 
be  able  to  see  what  is  going  on.  I  simply  cannot.  Let 
us  go  out  on  the  verandah." 

"  Very  well,  Miss  MacAllister.  I  do  not  know  that 
it  is  any  more  dangerous  there.  I  shall  be  glad  to 
go  with  you." 

"  So  shall  I !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Thomson,  whose 
natural  vivacity  had  likewise  been  quickened  by  the 
excitement  of  the  occasion.  "  I  must  go  out.  If  there's 
any  danger,  let's  take  it  in  the  open,  and  not  shut  up 
here  like  rats  in  a  hole." 

Her  husband  made  a  slow  and  feeble  protest.  But, 
with  a  half-defiant  "  You  may  hide  in  here  if  you  want 
to,"  she  ran  out  where  she  could  get  a  view.  Mean- 
while, Constance  Beauchamp  danced  in  and  out, 
bringing  reports  of  what  was  to  be  seen  to  her  mother, 
who  remained  sedately  inside. 

A  heavy  projectile  splashed  in  the  river  midway  be- 
tween the  company's  jetty  and  the  Locust.  Another 
dropped  on  a  cargo  boat  lying  at  the  jetty,  smashing 
through  its  bottom.  The  boat  immediately  filled  and 
sank.  A  third  drove  into  the  soft  mud  of  the  shore 
close  by  and  exploded,  bespattering  the  whole  vicinity 
with  slime.  There  was  a  moan  and  rush  nearer  still, 
a  shrill  human  shriek,  a  splitting  crash,  and  a  small 
native  house  spouted  up  a  cloud  of  dust  and  splinters 
and  fragments  of  sun-dried  brick.  Then  it  collapsed 
in  a  little  heap  of  debris.  In  that  heap  were  the  bodies 
of  an  old  Chinese  peasant  and  his  wife,  and  a  little 


THE  BALL  PROCEEDS  245 

child.  The  great  guns  of  the  French  Republic's  bat- 
tleships had  claimed  some  notable  victims. 

At  the  first  sound  of  the  shell  Miss  MacAllister  and 
Mrs.  Thomson  were  unceremoniously  rushed  into  the 
house  by  Boville  and  De  Vaux.  The  latter  showed  a 
presence  of  mind  and  courage  in  time  of  danger  of 
which  his  excitability  on  ordinary  occasions  had  given 
little  promise.  The  shower  of  fragments  rattled 
harmlessly  on  the  roof  and  walls. 

For  a  few  minutes  they  appeared  to  be  safe.  But 
they  did  not  have  a  long  respite.  There  was  a  terrific 
crash  and  rending.  The  house  shook  as  if  in  the  grip 
of  an  earthquake.  A  great,  gaping  hole  appeared  in 
the  back  corner  of  the  room  on  a  level  with  the  floor. 

"  Out  on  the  verandah !    Quick !  "  yelled  Boville. 

"  Don't  stop  there !  Bless  my  soul !  To  the  far 
end !  "  echoed  De  Vaux. 

With  one  exception  all  ran  to  the  end  of  the  ve- 
randah farthest  from  where  they  expected  the  explo- 
sion to  take  place.  For  a  moment  or  two  there  was 
dead  silence  as  hearts  stood  still  in  expectancy  of  the 
death-dealing  shock.  Then  a  quick  step  was  heard 
running  up  the  stairs  and  into  the  room  they  had  left. 
The  next  instant  Sinclair  stepped  out  on  the  verandah. 

"  I  hope  no  one  was  hurt,"  he  said.  *'  There  is  no 
immediate  danger  now.    It's  a  dead  one." 

A  heavy  shell  from  the  Triomphante  had  ricochetted 
from  the  hill  behind,  struck  the  back  of  the  house  just 
above  the  level  of  the  floor  of  the  room  in  which  the 
refugees  were,  passed  through  the  wall  and  floor,  and 
landed  amid  the  boxes  of  tea  piled  in  the  lower  story. 
Dr.  Sinclair  was  just  entering  the  storeroom  on  the 
ground  floor  at  that  moment,  and  soon  satisfied  him- 
self that  it  could  do  no  more  harm. 


g46  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

His  assurance  was  received  with  a  chorus  of  grate- 
ful exclamations.  In  the  midst  of  them  Mrs.  Mac- 
Allister  turned  to  Carteret  and  said: 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see,  Mr.  Carteret,  that  you  are 
perfectly  safe." 

She  had  not  failed  to  notice  that  he  had  been  the 
first  to  reach  a  place  of  safety,  and  had  ensconced  him- 
self in  the  corner  farthest  from  the  expected  danger. 
She  had  got  a  glimpse  of  the  man's  character.  She 
could  forgive  drunkenness  and  gambling,  and  some 
other  things  which  need  not  be  mentioned.  These 
were  the  privileges  of  the  nobility.  But  cowardice! 
She  despised  that.  Her  voice  was  icily  cold  when  she 
said: 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see,  Mr.  Carteret,  that  you  are 
perfectly  safe." 

Carteret's  pale  face,  paler  than  usual,  flushed.  But 
with  ready  effrontery  he  carried  himself  through: 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  MacAllister ;  I  am  very  glad  to 
see  that  every  one  is  perfectly  safe." 

At  that  moment  Sinclair's  voice  was  heard  say- 
ing: 

*'  What's  the  matter  in  here?    Was  any  one  hurt?  " 

He  stepped  into  the  room  again,  followed  by  all  the 
rest.  From  a  dark  corner  came  broken  ejaculations, 
mingled  with  the  names  of  the  deity : 

"Oh,  God!  Oh,  God!...  Lord!...  Lord!... 
Oh,  God,  have  mercy  on  my  soul !  " 

Peering  through  the  semi-darkness  after  the  glare 
of  the  bright  sunshine  outside,  they  discovered  Clark 
on  his  hands  and  knees  under  a  heavy  teak  table. 

"Hallo,  Clark!"  exclaimed  Sinclair.  "What  are 
you  doing  there?    Are  you  hurt?" 

"  Oh,  God !  .  .  .    No !  .  .  .  We'll  all  be  killed.  .  .  . 


THE  BALL  PROCEEDS  247 

Lord!  .  .  .  Lord!  ...  The  shell!  ...  Oh,  God! 
Have  mercy  on  my  soul !  " 

"  Lord  bless  my  soul ! "  exclaimed  De  Vaux  in  his 
high-pitched  voice.     "  Is  the  man  a  coward?  " 

"  Lord  have  mercy  on  my  soul !  "  prayed  Clark,  un- 
der the  table. 

"My  God!  .  .  .  This  is  disgraceful,"  stuttered  De 
Vaux.  "  I  never  heard  of  the  like.  .  .  .  Bless  my 
soul!" 

''  Oh,  God !  .  .  .  Have  mercy  on  my  soul ! " 
echoed  Clark. 

''  Sounds  like  a  Free  Methodist  prayer-meeting ! " 
remarked  Sinclair,  with  a  laugh,  in  which  the  rest 
joined. 

"  Mother,  doesn't  Mr.  Clark  get  under  the  table 
and  whine  just  like  Carlo  when  father  whipped 
him  for  keeping  company  with  those  nasty  Chinese 
dogs?" 

*'  Hush,  Constance !    Don't  you  say  another  word." 

Sinclair  reached  under  the  table  and  began  to  pull 
Clark  out: 

''  Come  along,  Clark !  The  Lord's  going  to  give 
you  another  chance  with  that  soul  of  yours.  Perhaps 
you  will  have  it  in  better  shape  by  the  time  you  get 
the  next  call." 

When  a  few  minutes  later  a  boat  from  the  Locust 
arrived  to  take  all  to  the  gunboat  for  greater  safety, 
Clark  found  his  legs  with  amazing  expedition.  In- 
deed, he  would  have  been  the  first  person  in  the  boat 
if  it  had  not  been  that  Lieutenant  Lanyon,  who  was 
in  command,  caught  him  by  the  collar  and  jerked  him 
back  on  the  jetty  with  the  warning: 

"  Ladies  first,  sir,  or  by  my  faith  you  don*t  go  at 
all." 


248  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Meanwhile  on  the  exposed  hill-top  MacKay,  his 
wife  and  children,  and  his  Chinese  converts,  who  had 
no  souls,  remained  calm  and  unmoved  amidst  the 
ceaseless  whirr  and  whine  of  the  flying  projectiles 
and  the  crash  of  bursting  shells. 


XXVI 
A  GAME  OF  BALL 

DURING  the  afternoon  the  French  fire  slack- 
ened. By  four  o'clock  it  had  died  away  to 
scattering  shots.  The  party  of  refugees  had 
spent  most  of  the  forenoon  on  board  the  Locust,  had 
lunched  at  Peeatow,  and  now  were  back  at  their  morn- 
ing rendezvous.  Some  of  the  men  had  remained  at 
Peeatow.  Clark,  the  hero  of  the  teak  table  incident, 
was  not  one  of  them.  Evidently  believing  that  a  special 
divinity  had  been  assigned  to  watch  over  the  ladies, 
he  kept  very  close  to  them,  so  that  he  might  share  in 
that  divinity's  protection. 

Sinclair  had  spent  the  day  at  the  hospital,  though 
there  was  not  much  to  do  there.  The  all-day  bom- 
bardment had  wounded  less  than  a  score  of  China- 
men. But  when  he  visited  the  rendezvous  in  the  morn- 
ing he  noticed  that  Miss  MacAllister  seemed  to  avoid 
him.  He  was  not  the  man  to  push  himself  in  where 
he  was  not  wanted,  and  so  stayed  away.  But  they 
met  in  the  late  afternoon.  It  was  she  who  con- 
trived it. 

"Where  is  Miss  MacAllister?"  said  Mrs.  Beau- 
champ  to  that  young  lady's  mother.  "  I  have  not 
seen  her  for  some  time." 

"  I  really  do  not  know,  I  had  not  missed  her.  But 
now  that  you  mention  it,  I  have  not  seen  her  since  we 
came  back.    She  may  be  in  her  room." 

249 


250  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

*'  Constance,  would  you  go  to  Miss  MacAllister's 
room  and  see  if  she  is  there?" 

"  Oh,  no,  mother,  she  is  not  in  her  room !  I  know. 
I  heard  her  dare  Mr.  Carteret  to  have  a  game  of  ten- 
nis. She  said  that  she  would  get  Dr.  Sinclair,  too. 
She  has  gone  away  up  to  our  place  to  play  tennis." 

*'  To  play  tennis !  "  both  ladies  exclaimed  in  horror. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Constance.  "  Mr.  Carteret  did  not 
want  to  go  one  bit.  He  was  scared.  I  know.  He  tried 
to  make  all  sorts  of  excuses.  It  was  because  he  was 
so  scared.  I  know.  He  looked  just  as  frightened  as 
he  could  look.  But  Miss  MacAllister  made  him  go. 
Isn't  she  dandy?" 

"  Constance,  quick,  run  and  ask  your  father  to  come 
here ! " 

When  the  consul  heard  what  his  wife  had  to  tell, 
he  uttered  one  brief,  emphatic  word,  not  loud  but  deep, 
grabbed  his  hat,  and  ran  down  the  stairs.  Breathlessly 
climbing  the  steep  hill  behind,  he  had  just  turned  the 
corner  of  the  customs  compound  when  he  heard  the 
moan  of  a  shell  coming  from  the  direction  of  the 
Vipere,  which  had  moved  from  her  former  position 
and  was  lying  well  within  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It 
exploded  in  the  air  between  the  two  mission  bunga- 
lows. A  fragment  cut  its  way  clean  through  the  cot- 
tage roof  of  Thomson's  bungalow,  going  in  at  one 
side  and  coming  out  at  the  other,  leaving  a  great  gap- 
ing hole  in  the  tiles. 

''By  Jove!"  said  the  consul  to  himself,  ''if  that 
had  been  a  percussion,  or  if  the  Frenchman  had  given 
it  one  second  longer,  Thomson  would  have  been  minus 
a  house." 

He  caught  a  glimpse  of  swiftly-moving  white  fig- 
ures on  his  lawn  and  quickened  his  pace.     He  called 


A  GAME  OF  BALL  251 

a  cheery  greeting  to  MacKay  as  he  passed  and  ran 
down  into  the  little  hollow  between  the  missionary's 
house  and  his  own.  Just  then  he  heard  Sinclair's 
strong  voice  calling: 

"  Fifteen— love !  .  .  .  Thirty— love!  .  .  .  Forty 
— love !  .  .  ,    Game !  " 

*'  What  an  expert !  Just  look  at  the  cool,  confident 
way  he  serves  those  balls.  And  we  might  as  well  try 
to  stop  a  French  shell  with  our  rackets  as  return  his 
service.  Mr.  Carteret,  it's  your  service.  Now  play  up 
or  he'll  win  this  set." 

At  that  moment  the  consul  ran  through  the  gate  in 
the  hedge  into  the  midst  of  the  players : 

"What  the  deuce  is  the  meaning  of  this?  Miss 
MacAllister?    Dr.  Sinclair?" 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Beauchamp,  I'm  so  glad  you  have  come ! 
We  needed  another  player  to  complete  a  doubles.  Dr. 
Sinclair  has  been  playing  singles  against  Mr.  Car- 
teret and  me.  Won't  you  join  in?  There's  a  gen- 
tleman's racket  on  the  settee  right  before  you." 

"Miss  MacAllister,  this  is  no  time  for  fooling.  I 
want  to  know  what  is  the  meaning  of  this.  Carteret, 
you  are  a  resident  of  the  East  and  know  what  it  means 
to  disobey  the  orders  of  a  consul.  Why  are  you  here 
and  not  at  the  rendezvous?" 

"  Ask  the  young  lady,"  replied  Carteret,  with  a 
shrug  of  his  shoulders  and  a  curl  of  his  lip. 

"  Thanks,  Adam !  Since  the  blame  is  to  be  thrown 
back  on  Eve,  she'll  reply.  I  got  tired  of  being  stewed 
up  in  the  house  with  men  who  crawled  under  the  ta- 
ble whenever  there  was  a  hint  of  danger.  So  I  came 
up  here.  Besides,  I  do  not  believe  that  it  is  nearly 
so  dangerous  here  as  there.  Not  a  shell  has  come  near 
us  since  we  came,  and  I  have  not  seen  where  one  has 


25a  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

fallen  about  here  all  day.  And,  if  they  did  start  to 
shoot  at  us,  Dr.  Sinclair  keeps  us  jumping  about  so 
lively  after  his  balls  that  the  Frenchmen  could  never 
hit  us." 

It  took  all  B'eauchamp's  self-control  to  maintain  the 
gravity  of  his  countenance.  But  he  managed  it  some- 
how, and  answered  as  sternly  as  he  could: 

"  This  foolishness  must  stop.  I'm  responsible  for 
your  lives  and  I'm  not  going  to  have  you  stuck  up 
here  for  targets." 

"  But,  Mr.  Beauchamp,"  was  the  nonchalant  reply, 
"we  have  won  the  first  set  from  Dr.  Sinclair.  He 
has  very  nearly  won  the  second  from  us.  It  would 
be  cowardly  of  us  to  run  away  now  without  giving 
him  a  chance  to  finish  it.  I'm  sure  Mr.  Carteret  would 
never  consent  to  that.  Mr.  Carteret,  it's  your 
service.  We  must  get  moving  or  we  all  may  be 
killed." 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Beauchamp,"  said  Sinclair,  "  that 
what  Miss  MacAllister  says  is  about  right.  There 
really  appears  to  be  less  danger  here  than  down  in 
the  town.  Whether  or  not  the  French  gunners  have 
respected  the  consulate,  their  shells  have  done  little 
damage  just  here." 

But  the  consul  was  not  to  be  put  oflF  so  easily : 

"Miss  MacAllister,  Mr.  Carteret,  Dr.  Sinclair,  I 
command  you  to  stop  this  game  and  to  go  down  to 
the  rendezvous." 

"Mr.  Beauchamp,  may  I  ask  you  one  question?'* 
Her  voice  was  almost  infantile  in  its  innocence. 

"  Certainly,  Miss  MacAllister.    If  it  be  a  short  one.'* 

"  You  remember  the  Canadian  Indian  song  Dr. 
Sinclair  sang  at  the  consulate  the  evening  after  we 
arrived?    Was  that  really  Indian?" 


A  GAME  OF  BALL 

"  How  do  you  think  I  know  ?  I  never  lived  among 
the  Indians.    It  was  all  Greek  to  me." 

**  That's  exactly  what  I  thought.  It  was  Greek  to 
me.  Mr.  Carteret,  it's  your  service.  Please  play 
ball." 

The  consul  gave  a  long,  low  whistle,  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  said  to  himself : 

*'  So  that's  where  the  wind  lies.  I  fancy  I  might 
as  well  let  them  fight  it  out." 

Sinclair's  face  crimsoned  at  her  words;  then  paled 
a  little.  His  jaw  set  hard  and  he  returned  Carteret's 
service  with  such  a  volley  that  neither  of  his  oppo- 
nents, though  ordinarily  better  players  than  he,  had 
any  chance.    In  a  few  minutes  he  announced  abruptly : 

"Game!    Set!" 

"  Set — all !  We  must  play  the  rubber.  I  suppose 
you  are  willing  to  have  a  deciding  set,  Dr.  Sinclair  ?  " 

''Certainly,  Miss  MacAllister." 

There  was  something  in  his  face  and  voice  she  had 
never  seen  or  heard  there  before.  She  looked  at  him 
curiously — a  little  anxiously. 

They  exchanged  courts,  Sinclair  taking  the  north 
or  exposed  end  of  the  lawn,  while  his  opponents  had 
the  south  end  and  were  sheltered  behind  the  fort. 

The  consul  looked  at  them  for  a  moment,  then  seized 
a  racket  and  joined  Sinclair : 

"If  you  young  people  are  bound  to  be  fools,  I  sup- 
pose I  might  as  well  jump  into  it  and  be  a  fool,  too. 
It  may  finish  the  set  so  much  the  quicker." 

It  was  not  a  long  one.  Miss  MacAllister  played 
well.  But  her  partner,  Carteret,  usually  an  expert  at 
tennis,  was  nervous  and  playing  wretchedly.  On  the 
other  hand,  Sinclair,  who  ordinarily  served  well  but 
was  weak  on  the  return,  completely  excelled  himself. 


254i  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

He  drove  his  balls  over  the  net  with  a  savage  strength 
v^hich  made  his  opponents'  efforts  to  return  them  en- 
tirely hopeless.  And  on  the  return,  where  he  was  as 
a  rule  only  moderately  skilful,  he  let  nothing  pass  him. 
Beauchamp  played  his  usual  swift,  tricky,  cheerful 
game. 

The  last  game  of  the  set  had  come.  It  was  Sin- 
clair's service. 

"  Play  ball !..  .    Fifteen— love ! " 

He  crossed  to  his  left-hand  court  and  lifted  his 
racket.  There  was  a  long  whine,  a  rush  of  wind, 
and  a  terrific  crash.  A  slanting  black  groove  was 
scored  across  the  green  almost  at  Sinclair's  feet,  and 
the  earth  thrown  high  in  the  air. 

"  Down !  Down !  Everybody  down !  '*  yelled  the 
consul. 

''  Play  ball !  "  shouted  Sinclair,  and  drove  a  vicious 
service  at  Carteret.  "  Thirty — love !  "  he  continued, 
and  strode  back  to  his  right-hand  court  to  serve 
again. 

But  there  was  no  use  continuing  the  game.  Car- 
teret, who  had  flung  himself  on  the  ground,  arose  with 
a  hanging  jaw  and  ghastly  face,  and  a  nerve  too 
shaken  to  play  any  more  that  day.  Miss  MacAllister 
had  thrown  herself  on  a  settee  at  the  end  of  the  lawn, 
her  face  covered  with  her  hands  to  shut  out  the  sight. 
The  consul,  though  he  had  shouted  to  the  others  to 
down,  had  remained  standing  himself.  He  was  star- 
ing fixedly  at  Sinclair : 

"Doctor,  you  beat  the  devil." 

"  Nothing  to  get  excited  about,  Beauchamp !  Per- 
cussion fuse!  If  it  did  not  explode  when  it  hit  the 
corner  of  the  fort,  it  wasn't  likely  to  when  it  went  into 
the  soft  soil." 


A  GAME  OF  BALL  255 

"  Yes,  that's  all  right.  But  you  hadn't  thne  to  work' 
that  out  before  you  served  again.  Besides,  it  passed 
within  a  yard  of  where  you  were  standing." 

*'  Well,  what  if  it  did?  A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile. 
There  was  no  use  going  up  in  the  air  about  it." 

*'  Look  here,  Sinclair.  What  the  devil  ever  in- 
duced you  to  play  this  fool  game,  anyway  ?  " 

"  I  had  to." 

The  consul  looked  at  him  in  silence  for  a  minute. 

"  Well,  perhaps  you  had,"  he  said  slowly. 

"  I'll  leave  you  to  see  those  people  back  to  the  ren- 
dezvous, Beauchamp.  Carteret  may  need  a  stretcher. 
I  see  that  Miss  MacAllister  is  quite  able  to  walk.  I'm 
going  to  MacKay's." 

He  turned  to  go.  As  he  did  so  he  heard  Miss  Mac- 
Allister pronounce  his  name.  He  thought  that  she  was 
only  saying  a  conventional  farewell.  He  lifted  his  hat 
and  said: 

"  Good-afternoon,  Miss  MacAllister." 

Without  looking  in  her  direction  he  was  gone. 


XXVII 

THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  TAMSUI  BLUES 

DURING  the  week  which  lay  between  the  first 
and  second  bombardments,  Dr.  Sinclair  and 
Miss  MacAllister  saw  very  little  of  each  other. 
The  doctor  was  busy.  But  that  was  not  the  main 
reason  why  he  did  not  meet  Miss  MacAllister.  The 
previous  week,  no  matter  how  busy  he  was,  he  could 
always  find  time  to  meet  her. 

The  fact  was  that  circumstances  had  changed.  He 
did  not  want  to  see  her.  Between  the  halcyon  days 
of  the  previous  week  and  the  gloom  of  this  one  some 
painful  episodes  had  occurred.  The  stormy  interview 
between  mother  and  daughter  had  taken  place.  In 
her  indignation  the  young  lady  had  determined  to 
make  it  plain  to  everybody  in  general,  and  to  Dr.  Sin- 
clair in  particular,  that  she  was  not  enamoured  of 
him  and  was  not  offering  her  love  where  it  had  not 
been  sought. 

In  some  respects  she  succeeded  beyond  her  expecta- 
tions. Sinclair  was  convinced.  More  than  that !  He 
was  convinced  that  all  along  she  had  been  only  play- 
ing him.  That  reference  to  the  song  he  had  sung 
at  the  dinner  made  assurance  doubly  sure.  All  through 
those  days  when  she  had  been  so  fascinatingly  kind 
she  had  only  been  leading  him  on  so  that  her  revenge 
might  be  the  sweeter. 

If  Sinclair  had  been  a  melodramatic  individual,  he 
would  probably  have  torn  out  whole  handfuls  of  his 

256 


THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  TAMSUI  BLUES    257 

fair  hair,  thrown  them  two  or  three  feet  above  his 
head  in  the  direction  of  the  high  heavens,  and  raved 
some  fooHsh  and  incoherent  ravings,  telhng  his  wrongs 
to  the  winds  and  the  wild  waves,  if  they  cared  to 
listen.  If  he  had  been  a  profane  person,  he  would 
have  sworn  picturesquely  and  would  have  asked  Ser- 
geant Gorman  or  some  one  else  equally  vigorous  to 
kick  him  down  the  steep  hill,  on  which  the  consulate 
was  built,  and  up  again  for  being  a  fool. 

As  he  was  neither  melodramatic  nor  profane,  he 
did  neither  of  those  things.  He  merely  made  up  his 
mind  in  a  cool,  determined  way  that  he  would  avoid 
Miss  MacAllister  as  much  as  the  narrow  limits  of  their 
little  community  would  allow,  and  when  he  was  forced 
to  meet  her  he  would  not  grow  enthusiastic  over  her, 
to  say  the  least.  When  he  met  Gorman  he  did  not 
ask  to  be  kicked,  but  said: 

"  Look  here,  sergeant,  there  are  going  to  be  some 
lively  times  round  here,  or  I'm  no  prophet.  The 
French  are  not  going  to  be  satisfied  with  bombarding. 
And  if  they  land  a  force  and  it  comes  to  rifle-fire  and 
perhaps  the  bayonet,  there'll  be  some  Chinese  hurt." 

"  Right  you  are,  docther.  The  shells  don't  take 
manny  lives,  barrin'  thim  that  the  noise  scares  to 
death.  But  the  rifle  bullets,  they're  the  little  divils 
that  do  the  wurrk." 

"Well,  supposin'  that  you  get  leave  again  and  we 
offer  our  services  to  General  Soon  to  organize  an  am- 
bulance brigade." 

"  I'm  wid  you,  docther,  from  the  drop  of  the  hat." 

So  it  came  about  that  all  that  week  Sinclair  and 
Gorman  were  out  on  the  wide  commons  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Chinese  camps,  with  squads  of  Chinese  detailed 
for  that  service,  to  use  General  Leatherbottom's  ex- 


258  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

pression,  'Mickin'  them  into  shape."  Gorman  gave 
them  drill.  Sinclair  taught  them  how  to  splint  and 
bandage,  to  put  on  a  tourniquet  and  check  the  flow 
of  blood,  to  make  improvised  stretchers  and  carry  pa- 
tients without  irritating  their  wounds  past  recovery. 

Soon  the  fair-haired  "  Life-healer  "  was  nearly  as 
well  known  and  as  popular  among  General  Soon's 
yellow-skinned,  slant-eyed  hordes  as  he  had  become 
in  Liu  Ming-chuan's  army  before  Keelung.  But  none 
of  these  Chinese  soldiers  knew  how  much  of  the  train- 
ing they  received  they  owed  to  the  fact  that  the  "  Red- 
haired  Life-healer  "  had  been  badly  used  by  the  "  bar- 
barian girl  "  at  a  game  of  ''  phah-kiu,"  or  strike  ball. 

One  day  Sinclair  and  Gorman  were  out  as  usual 
drilling  their  corps  and  training  them  in  the  princi- 
ples of  first  aid.  An  exclamation  of  ''  Tai-eng-kok 
lang  "  (British  people)  from  some  of  their  men  caused 
them  to  look  up.  Passing  them  some  distance  away 
were  Miss  MacAllister  and  Carteret.  The  latter  was 
carrying  an  easel,  for  among  his  accomplishments  he 
included  considerable  skill  in  sketching  and  painting. 

They  were  making  their  way  towards  a  little  emi- 
nence which  commanded  a  magnificent  view  in  all 
directions.  Carteret  had  asked  her  to  take  a  walk,  that 
he  might  point  out  the  beautiful  scenery.  She  had 
accepted  the  invitation  in  the  hope  of  meeting  Sinclair, 
whom  she  had  not  seen  since  he  had  so  abruptly  left 
the  tennis  lawn. 

"  Fwhat  the  divil  is  the  spalpeen  takin'  the  lady 
there  for,  wid  thousands  of  Chinese  soldiers  rampagin' 
around  for  some  diviltry  to  do?" 

Sinclair  took  one  look,  then  lowered  his  head,  and 
went  doggedly  on  with  his  work,  giving  the  Chinese 
ambulance  corps  a  demonstration  of  how  to  splint  a 


'^•■■~*****  "•-"  * 

"  ■     i 

c 

t- 

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o 

> 

O 

V 

ry} 


c3 

a; 
.S 

6 


THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  TAMSUI  BLUES    259 

broken  thigh.  Gorman  looked  at  him  wonderingly  for 
an  instant;  then  without  a  word  joined  him,  pulling 
the  shortened  leg  out  into  position  and  explaining 
each  movement  in  the  vernacular. 

Meanwhile,  the  prime  danger  to  which  Miss  Mac- 
Allister  and  Carteret  were  exposed  was  not  from  the 
Chinese  soldiers.  A  herd  of  water-buffaloes  were 
feeding  on  the  short  grass  of  the  downs.  Docile  as 
these  huge  beasts  are  with  the  little  native  herd  boys, 
they  are  often  exceedingly  vicious  towards  strangers, 
especially  those  dressed  in  a  style  to  which  they  are 
unaccustomed.  Now  they  were  irritated  by  the  bom- 
bardment and  frequent  ill-usage  by  the  soldiers. 

At  the  sight  of  the  man  and  woman  in  foreign  dress 
they  began  to  show  signs  of  excitement.  Crowding  in 
a  dense  mass  of  blue-grey,  hairless  bodies,  they  moved 
in  arcs  of  a  circle,  of  which  the  centre  was  the  object 
of  their  intended  attack.  Their  ugly  snouts  were 
thrust  forward  on  a  level  with  their  shoulders.  Their 
great,  curved  horns  lay  back  on  their  necks.  They 
pressed  closer  and  closer  behind  the  two  foreigners. 
Suddenly  one  enormous  brute  with  a  snort  threw  it- 
self forward  in  a  charge. 

A  yell  from  one  of  the  Chinese  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  Sinclair  and  Gorman.  Miss  MacAUister  had 
turned  to  face  the  beast,  with  the  light  walking-stick 
she  carried  upraised  in  her  hand.  Carteret  flung  his 
easel  at  it,  but  did  not  interpose  himself  between  his 
companion  and  the  danger. 

With  a  shout  Gorman  sprang  to  his  feet  and  started 
to  run,  waving  a  heavy  stick  in  his  hand.  He  had 
not  taken  a  half-dozen  paces  when  a  rifle  cracked 
behind  him.  A  bullet  sang  past  and  the  great  blue 
beast  plunged  forward  on  its  knees,  then  rolled  over 


260  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

on  its  side  almost  at  Miss  MacAllister's  feet.  Gor- 
man glanced  back.  Sinclair  was  lying  on  the  ground, 
in  the  act  of  throwing  another  shell  into  the  breach 
of  the  rifle  he  held  in  his  hands. 

"  Better  go  on,  Gorman,  and  drive  off  the  rest  of 
the  herd.  You  may  have  to  escort  these  people  home. 
It's  not  safe  for  them  to  be  out." 

With  some  shouts  and  a  few  resounding  thwacks 
of  his  stick  on  their  tough  hides,  Gorman  drove  off 
the  buffaloes,  and  then  turned  savagely  on  Carteret : 

*'  Tearin'  ages !  Fwhat  in  the  name  of  all  the  saints 
possessed  you  to  bring  the  young  lady  here?  .  .  . 
Fwhat?  .  .  .  For  a  walk!  .  .  .  Faith,  an'  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  the  docther  here,  God  bless  him ! — it's 
a  walk  her  young  ladyship  wud  have  been  takin'  to 
hivin  and  you  to  hell  this  very  minnit." 

"  You  make  very  fine  distinctions,  Sergeant  Gor- 
man," said  Carteret  sarcastically. 

"  Distinction,  is  it?  Begorra,  the  only  man  that  has 
come  out  of  this  wid  distinction  is  Dr.  Sinclair  here. 
An'  you  had  better  be  afther  thankin'  him  that  the 
angels  and  the  divils  are  not  this  minnit  holdin'  a  cele- 
bration over  your  two  souls  respectively." 

In  spite  of  the  danger  she  had  just  passed  through, 
this  was  too  much  for  Miss  MacAllister's  gravity. 
Her  merry  peal  of  laughter  rang  out  at  the  evident 
discomfiture  of  Carteret.  It  was  with  eyes  dancing 
with  fun  as  well  as  full  of  gratitude  that  she  met  Sin- 
clair as  he  came  to  inquire  courteously  for  her  well- 
being.  He  received  her  warm  thanks  quietly  and 
made  light  of  his  skill  as  a  shot,  which  she  praised  so 
highly. 

"  I  am  only  too  glad  to  be  of  any  service  to  you. 
As  for  the  shot,  that  was  nothing.     I  have  been  ac- 


THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  TAMSUI  BLUES    261 

customed  to  hunting  in  Canada  since  I  was  a  small 
boy.  I  had  to  learn  to  take  sure  aim  and  shoot 
quickly." 

Carteret  thanked  him  in  courteous  terms,  but  with- 
out warmth. 

Sinclair  did  not  wait  for  any  further  conversation. 

"  It  is  really  not  safe  for  you  to  be  out  here  with- 
out an  armed  escort,"  he  said ;  "  when  the  country  is 
so  disturbed  and  there  are  so  many  camp-followers 
about.  Even  we  who  are  in  a  sense  in  the  Chinese 
service  always  carry  arms.  Sergeant  Gorman  will  see 
you  safely  home.     I  am  on  duty  here." 

He  did  not  mention  the  obvious  fact  that  Sergeant 
Gorman  was  also  on  duty.  But  Miss  MacAllister  did 
not  fail  to  notice  it,  and  understood.  She  thanked 
him  as  bravely  as  she  could,  and  turned  away  with  her 
escort.  But  it  was  some  time  before  even  Gorman's 
quaint  humours  and  repetitions  could  draw  a  laugh 
from  her. 

That  was  the  only  time  Sinclair  and  Miss  MacAllis- 
ter met  that  week. 


XXVIII 
UNHOLY  CONFESSORS 

THAT  evening  De  Vaux  and  Carteret  sat  in  the 
latter's  quarters  in  the  buildings  of  the  cus- 
toms compound.  There  were  a  number  of 
other  occupants  of  the  room.  De  Vaux  and  Carteret 
sat  on  chairs,  at  least  they  did  during  the  earlier  part 
of  the  evening.  The  others  sat  on  the  table.  They 
were  highly  honoured  and  necessary  guests.  They 
consisted  of  sundry  bottles  of  Scotch  whiskey,  a  nearly 
equal  number  of  bottles  of  soda,  and  a  varied  assort- 
ment of  bottles  of  wine. 

Carteret  felt  that  he  needed  some  comfort  and  sym- 
pathy after  the  exciting  experiences  of  the  day.  He 
had  called  in  the  guests,  who  now  sat  on  the  table  to 
comfort  him.  De  Vaux,  as  being  somewhat  perma- 
nently installed  in  Carteret's  quarters,  was  helping  to 
entertain.  Indeed,  De  Vaux  had  a  singular  facility 
in  entertaining  and  being  entertained  by  guests  of  this 
nature. 

''  A  man  needs  something  after  such  experiences  as 
I  have  had  those  last  few  days,"  said  Carteret,  pour- 
ing out  a  glass  of  whiskey  and  starting  to  fill  up  with 
soda.  *'  Talk  about  war !  By  Jove !  I  have  been  in 
more  uncomfortable  places  in  the  last  five  days  than 
I  was  in  a  whole  campaign  in  Egypt." 

''  Not  so  much  soda,  Carteret !  Not  so  much 
soda !  .  .  .  It  spoils  the  flavour  and  weakens  the  ef- 
fect.    Ton  my  honour,  it  does!  ...     If  my  nerves 

263 


UNHOLY  CONFESSORS  263 

are  shaky  and  I  want  the  taste  to  stay  in  my  mouth, 
a  little  less  than  half  soda  is  my  rule." 

''  To  the  devil  with  the  taste !  There's  lots  more 
taste  where  this  came  from.  But  you're  right.  My 
nerves  are  all  on  the  jump." 

''  The  consul  tells  me  that  you  had  a  narrow  es- 
cape. Those  infernal  water-buffaloes !  Bless  my  soul ! 
I'm  more  afraid  of  a  herd  of  them  than  a  whole  regi- 
ment of  Chinese.  .  .  .     'Pon  my  word,  I  am." 

"  So  am  I,  the  ugly  brutes!  And  if  the  girl  had 
got  killed  or  injured  there  would  have  been  the  very 
deuce  to  pay.  The  consul  and  her  father  would  have 
blamed  me." 

''  The  consul  blames  you  as  it  is." 

**  Yes,  that's  the  way  with  Beauchamp.  He's  an 
Englishman.  But  he's  down  on  his  own  countrymen 
and  his  own  class,  and  all  for  those  damn  boors  of 
Canadians.  He  thinks  more  of  MacKay  and  that  up- 
start doctor  than  he  does  of  a  whole  colonv  of 
English." 

"  Well,  I  shouldn't  like  to  say  that.  Beauchamp  has 
always  been  awfully  decent  with  me.  'Pon  my  soul, 
he  has !  .  .  .  But  he  is  vexed  at  you.  He  says  that 
you  ought  to  be  deported." 

"  Only  wish  he  would  deport  me !  Anyway,  he 
can't  till  the  next  boat.  And  on  it  he's  going  to  have 
to  deport  his  wife  and  Mrs.  Thomson  and  Miss  Mac- 
Allister.  That  will  hurt  him  worst  of  all.  Don't  you 
fret.  There'll  be  no  deporting  by  that  boat,  unless  I 
deport  myself." 

'^You  are  pressing  your  case  with  Miss  MacAllis- 
ter  deuced  hard.  .  .  .  How  is  it  looking  ?  You  should 
have  some  results  by  this  time.  'Pon  my  honour,  you 
should!" 


264  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Carteret  drained  his  glass  and  filled  it  again. 

"  The  mother's  with  me.  She  knows  that  the  heir 
has  only  one  lung." 

"And  the  father?" 

"  Says  nothing  one  way  or  the  other.  Don't  think 
that  he  is  quite  satisfied  with  my  religious  prin- 
ciples." 

"Bless  my  soul!     Gould  you  blame  him?" 

"  Not  if  he  knew  all  about  them.  But,  thank  the 
Lord,  he  doesn't!" 

Carteret  laughed  disagreeably,  cynically  as  he  spoke. 

De  Vaux  took  his  cigar  out  of  his  mouth,  blew  a 
cloud  of  smoke  into  the  air,  and  tipped  his  long  glass 
so  high  that  one  might  fancy  that  he  feared  lest  even 
the  moisture  adhering  to  its  sides  should  escape  him. 
He  set  it  down  and  wiped  his  lips  with  a  sigh  of 
satisfaction.    Then  he  said: 

"And  what  about  the  young  lady  herself?'' 

"  An  uncertain  quantity." 

"Has  she  given  you  no  sign?" 

"  Signs  enough  sometimes  that  she  wished  I  was  in 
Jericho,  or  at  the  North  Pole,  or  some  other  equally 
remote  and  cheerful  place." 

"  Why?    What's  the  matter?  " 

"  Just  at  present  she's  taken  with  that  Canadian 
peasant's  muscles.  Like  the  rest  of  the  women,  she 
is  more  attracted  by  the  body  of  a  man  than  by  his 
birth  or  brains." 

He  laughed  again,  and  his  laugh  was  unpleasant  to 
hear. 

De  Vaux  gulped  down  another  drink  and  answered 
with  a  little  bit  of  angry  stutter: 

"  You've  said  enough,  Carteret.  ...  By  Jove ! 
there  are  lots  of  decent  women.  ...     H  you  and  I 


UNHOLY  CONFESSORS  265 

haven't  met  many  of  them,  it's  our  own  fault.  .  .  . 
'Pon  my  honour,  it  is !  " 

"  There  may  be.  But  they  are  not  in  the  Far  East. 
When  I  was  in  Shanghai,  every  woman  in  the  set- 
tlement had  her  price,  if  you  only  knew  what  it 
was." 

"  I  don't  know  what  they  are  in  Shanghai,"  re- 
plied De  Vaux:  '*  But  I  do  know  what  they  are  in 
some  other  places,  and  I'll  stake  my  honour  on  it  they 
are  not  all  like  that.     'Pon  my  soul,  they're  not.'* 

''  Name  one." 

"  Mrs.  Beauchamp.'* 

"  Bound  by  conventionalities  and  kept  in  a  glass 
case  by  her  husband,"  sneered  Carteret.  "  Get  her  out 
of  that  and  she'd  be  just  like  the  rest." 

De  Vaux  struggled  to  his  feet,  his  face  purple,  his 
voice  choking  with  rage. 

"  Carteret,"  he  stuttered  in  his  high  voice,  "  that's 
a  lie — a  damned  lie!  .  .  .  If  you  don't  take 
it  back  " — he  shook  his  fist  across  the  table — "  if  you 
don't  take  it  back,  by  God,  I'll  expose  you !  " 

Carteret  paled,  sat  up  in  his  chair,  and  took  the 
pipe  out  of  his  mouth. 

"  Look  here,  De  Vaux,"  he  said,  '*  don't  make  a 
confounded  fool  of  yourself.  One  would  think  that 
you  were  the  lady's  husband.  I  didn't  mean  anything. 
I  was  only  joshing." 

"  Well,  that's  a  kind  of  joshing  I  don't  like  when 
it  is  about  my  friends.  .  .  .  'Pon  my  soul,  I  don't !  " 
replied  De  Vaux,  settling  himself  back  into  his  chair. 

"  All  right,  De  Vaux,  there'll  be  no  more  of  it. 
What'll  you  have?  .  .  .  Let's  break  a  bottle  of 
champagne." 

That   was  irresistible,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Dc 


^66  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Vaux's  good-humour  was  restored.  Presently  he 
said: 

''  So  you  have  hopes  of  winning  the  fair  MacAlHster 
yet?" 

''  Sure  of  it  when  I  get  her  away  from  here  and 
can  use  the  title  as  a  bait." 

"  The  title !  Is  it  so  near  as  that  ?  Have  you  had 
any  word  ?  " 

"Had  word  from  my  agent  and  solicitor  by  the 
last  boat.  My  dearly  beloved  brother's  cough  is  quite 
distressing.  He  has  been  ordered  to  Mentone  for 
the  winter.  The  agent  does  not  think  that  he  will 
ever  get  there.  And,  if  he  does,  he's  sure  that  he'll 
never  get  back.  The  old  man  is  taking  on  about  it. 
He's  not  at  all  in  love  with  the  idea  of  the  succes- 
sion of  the  heir  presumptive.  They  do  not  think  that 
he  will  live  through  the  autumn.  If  October  does  not 
finish  him,  November  will." 

De  Vaux  had  little  reason  to  love  his  own  parents 
and  family,  whoever  they  were.  But  the  cynical 
heartlessness  of  Carteret  grated  on  him.  He  turned 
the  conversation  a  little: 

"  So  you  intend  to  leave  the  island  soon?" 

"  By  the  next  trip  of  the  Hailoong,  if  the  French 
do  not  bottle  us  up  for  the  winter." 

"  And  then  you'll  bring  matters  to  a  conclusion  with 
Miss  MacAllister?" 

"  Yes.  Her  people  intend  to  spend  the  winter  in 
Hong-Kong.  So  do  I.  If  the  old  man  and  my  be- 
loved brother  are  only  sufficiently  obliging  to  depart 
in  peace  with  reasonable  expeditiousness,  I  shall  be 
Lord  Lewesthorpe.  You  know  what  that  means  in 
the  colony.  I  haven't  yet  seen  the  tradesman's  daugh- 
ter who  could  resist.     They  are  all  falling  over  each 


UNHOLY  CONFESSORS  267 

other  in  their  willingness  to  exchange  their  money 
for  a  title.  Quite  envious  of  the  preeminent  success 
of  their  fair  American  cousins,  as  the  newspapers 
say,  in  getting  so  many  titles  knocked  down  to  them. 
The  mother  is  ready  to  bid  mine  up.  The  decayed 
Lewesthorpe  fortunes  need  the  money  more  than  I 
need  the  girl." 

Drunk  as  he  was  getting  to  be,  De  Vaux  was  dis- 
gusted with  the  callousness  of  his  companion.  He  sat 
silent  for  a  few  minutes,  looking  straight  at  Car- 
teret out  of  his  bulging,  bloodshot  eyes.  Then  he 
blurted  out : 

"  Carteret,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  the 
Chinese  girl?" 

"  Nothing  in  particular,"  was  the  reply,  with  a 
cynical  laugh.  "  Any  of  you  fellows  can  have  her, 
if  you  want  her.  If  not,  and  the  French  take  this 
beastly  island,  one  of  them  will  take  her.  They  are 
generally  ready  for  an  affaire  d'amourf 

*'And  you  are  going  to  desert  that  Chinese  girl 
and  her  child — your  child — and  let  them  go  to  the 
devil?  And  then  you're  going  to  ask  Miss  MacAUis- 
ter  to  marry  you,  she  of  course  knowing  nothing  of 
the  other?" 

"Of  course.  Why  not?  It  won't  hurt  her  so  long 
as  she  doesn't  know  anything  about  it.  If  she  does 
find  it  out  afterwards,  she  can  make  the  best  of  it. 
It  would  be  the  same  if  she  married  any  other 
man." 

"  Carteret,  you  are  a  scoundrel.  .  .  .  'Pon  my 
soul!  .  .  .  That's  what  you  are — a  double-dyed 
scoundrel." 

Carteret  rose  to  his  feet  and  faced  De  Vaux  across 
the  table.     His  face  was  pale  and  ugly: 


^68  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Come  now,  De  Vaux.  A  little  of  that  goes  a  long 
way.  If  I  am  a  scoundrel,  you  are  five  times  as  much 
a  scoundrel.  For,  if  my  arithmetic  and  memory  are 
right,  that  is  just  the  number  of  half-breed  youngsters 
I  counted  in  your  house  up  river." 

De  Vaux  stood  for  some  moments  gasping  for 
breath  and  struggling  to  get  control  of  himself.  He 
was  dangerously  near  the  apopleptic  fit  which  had 
been  so  often  foretold  for  him.  But  he  passed  the 
danger  point,  recovered  himself,  and  said: 

"  Yes,  Carteret,  your  memory  and  your  arithmetic 
were  right.  There  were  five.  But  they  are  all  the 
children  of  one  woman.  And  that  woman,  though 
she  is  a  Chinese,  is  just  as  much  my  wife  as  things 
out  here  go  as  if  the  banns  had  been  published  and  the 
service  read.  .  .  .  Ton  my  honour,  she  is!  .  .  .  I 
am  educating  my  children.  They  are  safe  in  Hong- 
Kong  at  the  present  moment.  .  .  .  Bless  my  soul,  I 
had  a  letter  from  the  oldest  by  the  last  mail.  .  .  . 
More  than  that,  Carteret,  since  I  have  had  that  Chinese 
woman,  I  have  never  sought  a  white  woman,  and 
never  intend  to.  .  .  .  Thank  God,  I  have  a  little  bit 
of  a  man  in  me  yet !  '* 

*' That's  all  old  woman's  sentiment,  De  Vaux.  I 
didn't  think  you  were  such  a  molly-coddle.  Wouldn't 
it  make  a  furore  in  society  if  I  was  to  take  a  Chinese 
tea-girl  home  to  be  the  Countess  of  Lewesthorpe?  I 
have  none  of  your  fastidious  notions.  I  intend  to 
have  a  woman  suited  to  my  position,  and  money  to 
keep  it  up." 

"  And  leave  the  girl  and  the  kid." 

"  Yes." 

"  Then,  by  God,  I'll  have  nothing  more  to  do  with 
you!" 


UNHOLY  CONFESSORS  269 

And  De  Vaux  meant  what  he  said.  But  another 
bottle  was  broken,  and  then  another.  And  when  the 
dawn  peeped  in,  De  Vaux  was  stertorously  slumbering 
on  a  long  bamboo  and  rattan  chair,  and  Carteret  was 
hidden  under  his  mosquito  curtains. 


XXIX 
FLAGS  OF  TRUCE 

"TOOKS  as  if  we  might  have  something  doing 

I         to-day,  sergeant.     I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if 
we  should  have  an  interesting  day.    What  do 
you  make  of  those  boats  away  there  to  the  north?  " 

"  Transports,  docther.  They're  not  men-o'-war, 
and  what  else  could  merchant  ships  be  doin'  there 
except  waitin'  for  a  chanst  to  land  soldiers?  " 

*'  I  wonder  where  the  other  warships  are.  I  can 
make  out  only  the  Galissonniere  and  the  Vipere." 

''  Maybe  they're  close  in  shore,  behind  that  hill  yon- 
der. If  they  are  goin'  to  put  a  landin'  party  ashore, 
they'll  be  needin'  to  cover  it." 

It  was  the  eighth  of  October,  six  days  after  the 
previous  bombardment.  Sinclair  and  Gorman  were, 
as  was  their  custom,  on  the  top  of  the  Dutch  fort, 
trying  to  foresee  what  might  be  the  developments  of 
the  day. 

The  morning  wore  on  until  nine  o'clock.  Suddenly 
spirts  of  flame  shot  out  from  the  two  French  war- 
ships which  were  in  sight,  and  the  thunder  of  their 
guns  mingled  with  the  distant  boom  from  others  which 
were  hidden  behind  the  northern  hills.  A  transport 
appeared  close  to  the  shore,  near  the  last  stretch  of 
beach  visible  from  the  fort.  Another  was  probably 
hidden  by  the  hills.  The  rattle  of  the  machine  guns 
covering  the  landing  of  the  troops  filled  up  the  inter- 
vals between  the  booming  of  the  big  guns. 

270 


FLAGS  OF  TRUCE  S71 

At  the  first  report  the  consul  joined  them  on  the 
lookout.  Boville,  MacAllister,  Commander  Gar- 
denier,  and  one  or  two  others  came  later.  With  the 
consul's  permission,  Gorman  left  to  personally  super- 
intend the  work  of  his  ambulance  corps,  of  which  he 
was  very  proud. 

"  Don't  let  the  Chinese  mistake  you  for  a  French- 
man," called  Sinclair  after  him.  "  The  Hakkas  might 
fill  you  with  slugs  from  their  old  match-locks." 

"  Faith,  an'  it's  a  poor  opinion  you  have  of  their 
intilligence,  to  say  nothin'  of  the  insult  you're  offering 
meself,"  was  the  reply  of  Gorman,  as  he  ran  down 
the  stair. 

**  There's  the  first  load ! "  exclaimed  the  consul,  as 
a  boat  filled  with  troops  pulled  from  the  transport  to 
the  beach. 

Boat  after  boat  followed,  discharging  their  cargoes 
of  armed  men,  who  formed  up  on  the  beach  and  then 
marched  away  out  of  sight  behind  a  spur  of  hills. 
Soon  the  volleys  of  rifle-fire  joined  the  crash  of  ma- 
chine guns  in  forming  an  interlude  between  the  thun- 
der of  the  cannon. 

An  hour  passed  away.  As  a  week  before,  most  of  the 
residents  of  the  hill-top  had  repaired  to  the  rendezvous 
at  MacAllister,  Munro  Co.'s.  But  the  consul  and  his 
companions  were  still  on  the  top  of  the  fort. 

**  There  comes  the  first  of  the  Chinese  wounded," 
said  Sinclair.  "  It's  some  of  Gorman's  corps  who  are 
carrying  him.     I  can  see  the  red  cross." 

A  moment  later  he  said : 

"  There  come  more.  The  French  must  be  doing 
some  execution.  There  are  already  more  wounded 
in  sight  than  we  had  all  day  last  Thursday.  It's  the 
rifle-fire  which  counts." 


272  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

Singly  or  in  groups,  the  squads  of  stretcher-bearers 
could  be  seen  filing  across  the  common  on  their  way  to 
the  Mission  Hospital. 

"  I  must  go  now.  We  are  going  to  have  our  hands 
full." 

**  Down !    Down !  "  roared  Gardenicr. 

Every  one  fell  flat  behind  the  battlements.  There 
was  a  crash  and  the  old  fort  trembled  to  its  founda- 
tions. They  sprang  to  their  feet  and  looked  over.  A 
shell  had  struck  it  squarely  a  few  feet  above  the 
ground.  But  the  solid  brick  walls,  eight  feet  thick, 
built  by  conscientious  workmen  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  before,  had  hurled  it  back  and  were  hardly  even 
dented  by  the  terrific  impact. 

Soon  afterwards  Sinclair  left  for  the  Mission  Hos- 
pital down  in  the  town.  There  he  joined  Dr.  Berg- 
mann  in  time  to  receive  the  first  of  the  wounded.  But 
they  came  so  fast  that  before  long  the  "two  doctors 
had  to  signal  for  Black  of  the  Locust.  As  the  after- 
noon came  on  the  number  increased.  The  hospital 
was  small,  and  soon  not  only  the  operating-room  and 
the  wards,  but  the  courtyard  as  well,  were  crowded 
with  between  one  hundred  and  twenty  and  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  wounded  men. 

The  forenoon  passed  into  the  afternoon;  the  after- 
noon wore  slowly  away.  Up  and  down  between  the 
lines  of  rude  plank  cots  the  three  doctors  moved,  with 
bare  arms  and  clothing  stained  with  blood.  Several 
of  the  Christian  students  acted  as  nurses  and  assisted 
at  the  dressings. 

The  noon  hour  had  passed,  but  they  took  no  time 
for  lunch.  A  messenger  arrived  from  the  rendezvous 
with  an  invitation  from  Mrs.  Beauchamp  and  Mrs. 
MacAllister  to  go  there  for  tiffin. 


FLAGS  OF  TRUCE  273 

"  I  fancy  that  we  had  better  accept  this,"  said 
Black.  **  We  have  more  time  now  than  we  shall  have 
later.  But  these  are  slaughter-house  clothes  in  which 
to  go  to  tiffin  with  ladies.'* 

"  Das  ist  true,"  replied  Bergmann.  "  Ve  vill  slip 
in  mine  house  and  vill  get  some  clothes.  I  can  fit  Dr. 
Black.  But  Dr.  Sinclair,  I  know  not.  He  ist  so 
big." 

*'  That's  all  right,  Bergmann.  Somebody  has  to 
stay  here  and  look  after  those  fellows.  You  two  go 
ahead  and  have  tiffin.  Present  my  compliments  and 
regrets.  If  there  is  not  too  big  a  rush  when  you  come 
back,  I'll  have  something  then." 

His  two  confreres  hastened  away.  Sinclair  went 
on  with  his  work  silently,  swiftly,  determinedly. 
Again  the  pain-drawn  faces  appealed  to  him.  Again 
the  wistful  eyes  followed  him.  Again  the  word 
passed  from  lip  to  lip,  "  I-seng  lai  "  (The  Life-healer 
comes). 

Some  belonged  to  regiments  which  had  been  in  the 
camp  before  Keelung  and  had  known  him  there. 
Some  had  come  to  know  him  during  their  ambulance 
work  of  the  past  week.  Some  had  heard  of  him. 
Some  were  mainland  men  from  the  North,  speaking 
a  different  tongue.  But  all  caught  the  phrase,  and 
from  every  plank  bed  he  heard  the  word  passed  to  the 
next,  "I-seng  lai"  (The  Life-healer  comes).  And 
he  worked  on. 

Presently  Bergmann  and  Black  returned,  and  with 
them  a  blue-jacket  of  the  rendezvous  guard,  with  a 
pressing  invitation  for  him  to  go  for  tiffin.  He  looked 
at  the  invitation;  then  at  the  ever-increasing  number 
of  suffering  men: 

"Give  my  thanks  to  the  ladies  who  sent  you  and 


274  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

say  from  me  that  there  are  so  many  wounded  here 
now  that  I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  leave  them. 
I  can  do  very  well  without  food  till  dinner-time." 

"  Very  good,  sir.     I  shall  tell  them." 

Thfe  blue-jacket  saluted  and  withdrew.  Sinclair 
went  on  with  his  work. 

A  half -hour  passed.  Again  the  blue-jacket  appeared 
accompanied  by  a  native  bearing  on  his  carrying-pole 
a  pair  of  the  many-storied  bamboo  baskets  in  which 
the  Chinese  convey  warm  provisions. 

"A   chit   for   you,   sir." 

He  took  the  note  the  sailor  handed  him  and  glanced 
at  the  address.  It  was  in  an  unfamiliar  feminine  hand. 
Opening  it  quickly,  he  read: 

"Will  Dr.  Sinclair  be  so  good  as  to  accept  the  accompanying 
refreshments  from  me? 

"  Jessie  MacAllister." 

In  spite  of  the  mood  of  intense  concentration  which 
was  always  on  him  when  he  was  at  work,  in  spite  of 
his  rigid  self-control,  a  slow  flush  showed  in  his  face, 
doubtful  under  the  tan,  but  certain  when  it  climbed 
above  the  border-line  of  the  sunburn.  It  was  not  so 
much  the  act,  though  that  in  itself  would  have  been 
enough  to  quicken  his  pulses.  It  was  the  form  of  the 
brief  epistle.  She  had  started  to  write  a  purely  formal 
note,  but  had  ended  by  making  it  warmly  per- 
sonal. ..."  From  me.    Jessie  MacAllister." 

"  I  have  no  paper  on  which  to  write  an  answer, 
except  a  leaf  out  of  a  pocketbook.  You  will  have 
to  make  apologies  for  me." 

"  I  shall  do  my  very  best,  sir,"  replied  the  sailor, 
with  a  grin,  as  he  took  the  hastily-scribbled  note  of 
thanks,  for  the  big,  kindly  doctor  had,  without  an 


FLAGS  OF  TRUCE  275 

effort,  got  the  good- will  of  this  man,  as  he  did  of 
nearly  every  man  his  life  touched. 

Sinclair  hastily  swallowed  several  cups  of  tea,  ate 
a  piece  of  chicken,  and,  telling  his  student  assistants 
to  distribute  the  rest  among  the  wounded,  turnect 
again  to  his  work  of  mercy.  But  all  the  while  four 
words  kept  writing  and  re-writing  themselves  upon 
his  brain :  "  From  me.     Jessie  MacAUister." 

It  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  seen  her  full  name 
written.  It  had  always  been  "  Miss  MacAlHster." 
Certain  definite  pictures  had  been  formed  in  his  mind 
with  which  that  appellation  was  connected.  Some- 
times stately  and  magnificent,  sometimes  teasing  and 
whimsical;  sometimes  kind,  sometimes  cruel;  those 
clear-cut  portraits  were  connected  inseparably  with 
the  name  "  Miss  MacAUister."  But  some  way  "  Jes- 
sie MacAUister  "  was  different.  It  suggested  some- 
thing more  intimate,  more  confidential,  more  tender 
than  the  other  had  ever  done.    What  could  it  mean  ? 

Again  and  again  he  asked  himself  that  question: 
"  What  could  it  mean  ?  "  Was  she  only  playing  with 
him  ?  The  week  before  the  last  bombardment  she  had 
been  exceedingly  kind.  Then  she  had  suddenly  turned 
and  treated  him  cruelly.  Was  she  trying  the  same 
trick  again?  His  jaw  set  and  his  lips  closed  tightly. 
She  wouldn't  catch  him  like  that  again. 

But  another  thought  would  pass  through  his  mind. 
This  was  different.  There  was  something  about  this 
two-line  note  which  he  had  never  experienced  be- 
fore. ..."  From  me.    Jessie  MacAUister." 

Sinclair  had  made  up  his  mind  resolutely  after  that 
tennis  game  that  he  would  not  put  himself  in  the  way 
of  receiving  such  treatment  again.  When  he  set  his 
mind  to  anything,  he  was  firm  to  the  verge  of  stub- 


^76  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

bornness.  He  knew  that.  And  with  all  the  stubborn- 
ness of  his  nature  he  had  resolved  to  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  Miss  MacAllister  than  the  laws  of 
politeness  required. 

But  somehow  "Jessie  MacAlHster"  did  not  seem 
just  the  same.  Do  his  best,  he  could  not  be  indig- 
nant and  angry  with  her  in  the  same  degree  as  he 
had  been  with  "  Miss  MacAllister."  He  knew  that 
the  fortifications  of  his  resolution  were  shattered.  He 
knew  that  the  four  words,  '*  From  me.  Jessie  Mac- 
Allister," had  made  a  breach  in  them.  They  had  been 
standing  not  quite  a  week. 

Strange  to  say,  the  thought  that  they  were  broken, 
and  the  means  by  which  it  was  effected,  gave  him  a 
secret  pleasure,  a  sense  of  lightness  and  exultation 
such  as  he  had  not  felt  for  six  whole  days.  To  be 
consistent  with  himself,  to  maintain  his  self-respect 
and  reputation  for  firmness,  he  made  a  pretence  at 
repairing  the  breach  and  rebuilding  the  fortifications. 
But  all  the  while  the  two-line  note  with  its  signature 
was  stowed  away  in  an  inner  pocket,  which  had  an 
intimate  relation  to  the  spot  beneath  which  his  strong 
heart  beat  a  little  faster  than  usual.  With  a  new 
hope  and  enthusiasm  he  toiled  on  among  the  wounded 
all  the  rest  of  the  day.  But  the  toil  was  light  and 
the  afternoon  sped  away. 

Meanwhile,  the  bombardment  had  come  to  an  end. 
The  French  attack  had  failed.  Entangled  in  a  maze 
of  swampy  rice-fields,  their  landing-party  had  been 
fiercely  attacked  by  the  Chinese.  They  were  com- 
pelled to  retreat  to  their  boats,  carrying  their  wounded 
with  them,  but  abandoning  their  dead. 

The  wild  Hakka  tribesmen  with  General  Soon's 
army,  following  the  practice  they  had  learned  in  bor- 


FLAGS  OF  TRUCE  ^77 

der  warfare  against  the  Malay  savages  of  the  hills, 
had  cut  off  the  heads  of  the  fallen  French  soldiers 
and  exposed  them  on  poles  at  the  Chinese  camp  and 
in  the  market-place  of  Tamsui.  Consul  Beauchamp 
and  Commander  Gardenier  had  indignantly  protested 
to  General  Soon.  The  Chinese  commander  had  at 
once  ordered  that  the  bodies  and  heads  of  their  fallen 
foes  should  be  buried  and  promised  that  it  should  not 
occur  again. 

But  the  danger  of  the  situation  to  the  European 
residents  and  visitors  had  been  revealed.  While  Gen- 
eral Soon  and  many  of  his  officers  and  men  were 
deeply  grateful  for  the  services  rendered  by  the  Mis- 
sion Hospital,  the  doctors,  and  Sergeant  Gorman's 
ambulance  corps,  the  foreigners  stood  in  serious  peril. 
A  great  European  nation,  a  first-class  military  power, 
had  been  beaten  back  by  the  Chinese  in  an  attempt 
to  capture  Tamsui.  The  savage  instincts  of  the  ir- 
regular and  undisciplined  levies  of  the  Chinese  army 
had  been  aroused  by  their  success.  There  was  no 
knowing  the  hour  when  these  would  break  out  in  a 
general  massacre.  The  consul  resolved  that  all  for- 
eign women  and  children,  and  such  of  the  men  as 
duty  did  not  compel  to  stay,  should  leave  the  island 
at  the  first  opportunity. 


XXX 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOVE 

A  DAY  or  two  after  the  second  bombardment  the 
Hailoong  again  appeared  off  the  harbour.  The 
French  detained  her  long  enough  to  satisfy 
themselves  that  she  carried  no  munitions  of  war,  and 
then  allowed  her  to  enter  the  port.  Nearly  the  whole 
foreign  community  was  at  the  dock  to  receive  her. 
It  was  only  thirteen  or  fourteen  days  since  she  had 
been  there  before.  But  to  those  who  had  been  in  the 
midst  of  war's  alarms  it  seemed  as  many  weeks. 

Of  course,  Sinclair  was  there  to  give  McLeod  a 
hearty  greeting.  There  was  little  time  to  talk,  as 
the  chief  officer  had  to  oversee  the  discharging  of 
the  cargo.  Sinclair  joined  him  in  this,  his  knowledge 
of  the  ship  and  of  conditions  ashore  making  his  as- 
sistance most  valuable.  He  had  his  countryman's 
knack  of  turning  his  hand  to  anything.  By  the  aft- 
ernoon they  had  so  rushed  the  work  that  they  were 
able  to  knock  off  and  have  a  comfortable  chat  in  the 
dining  saloon. 

After  they  had  discussed  the  bombardment  and  the 
landing,  the  prospects  of  more  fighting  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  blockade,  and  had  laughed  till  their  sides 
ached  at  the  oddities  and  eccentricities  brought  out  by 
the  unusual  situation,  McLeod  said  suddenly: 

"  Say,  Doc,  you  have  not  told  me  anything  about 
the  Highland  girl.     How  is  she?" 

"  Just  as  big  a  conundrum  as  ever,  Mac." 
278 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOVE  279 

''  What !    Have  you  not  been  getting  along  well  ?  " 

"  No !     I  don't  know  where  I'm  at." 

*'  Why  ?  I  thought  from  the  way  she  spoke  of  you, 
and  the  way  she  received  you  when  you  came  back 
from  Keelung,  that  things  were  bound  to  go  like  a 
house  on  fire." 

"  Well,  Mac,  for  a  few  days  I  was  feeling  pretty 
good  myself.  I  thought  that  I  was  making  great 
progress.  But  the  day  of  the  first  bombardment  my 
castle  in  the  air  was  blown  sky-high  and  there  has 
hardly  a  fragment  of  it  come  back  to  earth  yet." 

He  then  told  of  the  tennis  game  and  of  how  dis- 
gusted with  himself  he  had  been.  To  his  surprise 
McLeod  did  not  take  it  very  seriously.  He  expressed 
concern  at  Sinclair's  narrow  escape  from  the  shell, 
but  rather  laughed  about  the  rest  of  the  incident, 
especially  at  his  friend's  having  left  the  lawn  in  a 
tantrum,  as  he  called  it. 

"  You  would  have  been  madder  than  I  was,"  re- 
torted Sinclair,  ''  if  you  had  been  in  my  place." 

"  Of  course  I  should — if  I  had  been  in  your  place, 
because  like  you  I  should  not  have  looked  for  the  right 
reason  for  her  actions — that  is,  if  I  had  been  in  your 
place." 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  are  driving  at,"  said 
Sinclair,  with  a  trace  of  irritation. 

"  It's  all  right.  Doc.  Never  mind  now.  Go  on 
and  tell  us  some  more." 

When  Sinclair  related  the  incident  of  the  "  charge 
of  the  Tamsui  blues,"  and  Gorman's  remarks  to  Car- 
teret, McLeod  laughed  so  heartily  that  the  doctor  had 
to  join  him. 

"It's  all  very  well  for  you  to  laugh  like  that,"  he 
said,  a  little  ruefully,  when  McLeod  stopped  for  a 


280  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

moment.  "  You  have  nothing  at  stake.  But  it's  dif- 
ferent with  me." 

"  You'll  laugh  about  it  yet,  just  as  heartily  as  I 
have  done.  Probably  more  so.  Haven't  you  another 
yarn  up  your  sleeve  ?  I  know  that  you  have.  Go  on. 
Give  us  another." 

He  did.  He  told  about  Clark  praying  under  the 
teak  table,  and  De  Vaux  dancing  and  stuttering 
around  it.  Sinclair  was  a  good  story-teller,  and  be- 
fore he  was  through  with  the  Free  Methodist  prayer- 
meeting  McLeod's  laughter  could  be  heard  the  length 
of  the  ship.  Sinclair  had  forgotten  his  love  troubles, 
and  his  laugh,  mingled  with  his  chum's,  was  as  rol- 
licking and  care-free  as  that  of  a  schoolboy. 

In  the  midst  of  it  Captain  Whiteley's  voice  was 
heard  outside: 

"  What  in  the  world's  going  on  in  here?" 

A  lady's  voice  replied: 

"  It's  those  two  lovers.  They  should  never  be  sepa- 
rated. Either  one  is  quite  inconsolable  without  the 
other." 

The  door  was  pulled  open,  and  the  two  young  men, 
vainly  endeavouring  to  choke  down  their  laughter, 
rose  to  receive  Miss  MacAUister,  her  father,  and  the 
captain. 

The  two  men  did  not  remain  long.  Mr.  MacAUis- 
ter wanted  to  take  Captain  Whiteley  to  see  some  of 
the  damage  wrought  by  the  shells.  A  few  minutes 
after  they  left  McLeod  suddenly  remembered  that 
there  were  some  duties  connected  with  discharging  or 
taking  cargo  which  he  had  to  attend  to  at  once.  Al- 
most before  they  knew,  Sinclair  and  Miss  MacAUister 
were  left  alone. 

For  some  moments  neither  spoke.     Ordinarily  both 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOVE  28,1 

were  good  conversationalists,  able  to  acquit  them- 
selves with  credit  in  any  company.  But  now,  left  to 
each  other's  company,  each  seemed  suddenly  bereft  of 
speech.  Sinclair  probably  never  thought  so  quickly 
on  any  other  occasion  in  his  life.  But  with  all  his 
thinking  he  entirely  failed  to  think  of  anything  to 
say.  If  he  had  thought  of  anything,  it  is  doubtful 
if  he  could  have  said  it.  His  heart  was  pounding  so 
hard  and  fast  that  he  experienced  a  slight  suffocating 
sensation.  But  he  didn't  open  the  door.  He  had  that 
much  presence  of  mind.  He  didn't  open  the  door  to 
let  the  outside  air  or  any  one  else  in.  Though  speech- 
less, he  was  not  bereft  of  reason. 

It  was  Miss  MacAllister  who  first  recovered. 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,"  she  said,  "  I  want  you  to  forgive 
me." 

Then  Sinclair  began  to  wonder  what  she  had  done 
that  he  should  forgive.  Could  she  ever  have  done 
anything  for  which  she  needed  to  ask  his  forgive- 
ness? 

''  But,  Miss  MacAllister,"  he  stammered,  "  what — 
what  am  I  to  forgive  ?    You  never  did  anything " 

"  Oh,  Dr.  Sinclair,  you  know  that  I  did.  Last 
Thursday;  you  remember.  I  acted  shamefully,  and" 
— there  was  a  little  break  in  her  voice — ''  I  nearly 
caused  you  to  be  killed.  .  .  .  Can  you  ever  forgive 
me?" 

"I  could  forgive  you  anything." 

"  But  you  were  very  angry.  You  went  away  angry, 
and  when  I  tried  to  call  you  back  you  wouldn't  stop 
to  speak  to  me.  I  wanted  to  ask  your  forgiveness 
then." 

"  Miss  MacAllister,  I  suppose  that  I  was  angry.  It 
is  I  who  ought  to  ask  your  forgiveness.  ...    I  didn't 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

mean  to  be  angry.  But  I  felt  hurt.  .  .  .  You  had 
been  so  kind  just  before  that  day.  ...  I  was  foolish 
enough  to  hope  that  you  would  continue  to  be  kind. 
But  when  that  day  came  you  were  different,  and  it 
hurt.  .  .  .  Miss  MacAllister,  I  can't  keep  it  back.  I 
love  you.  .  .  .  That's  why  it  hurt." 

She  was  sitting  by  one  of  the  small  windows  of  the 
saloon,  with  one  arm  resting  on  its  sill.  Through  the 
conversation  she  had  kept  her  head  lowered.  As  his 
accents  grew  warmer,  she  turned  towards  the  win- 
dow, and  seemed  to  be  gazing  on  the  water,  which 
the  northeast  monsoon,  driving  against  the  current, 
was  raising  in  choppy  waves.  He  had  risen  and  was 
standing  in  front  of  her.  He  could  not  see  her 
averted  face,  and  she  made  no  answer. 

**  I  know  that  it  must  seem  absurd  and  presumptu- 
ous of  me.  I'm  a  poor  and  unknown  missionary  doc- 
tor. But  I  love  you.  ...  I  tried  not  to.  But  I 
couldn't  help  it.  .  .  .  I  resolved  never  to  mention  it 
to  you.  .  .  .  But  we  were  left  alone  here  together 
and — I  just  couldn't  help  myself.  ...  I  had  to  tell 
you." 

Without  turning  her  face,  she  extended  her  right 
hand  to  him.  He  caught  it  in  his  and,  dropping  on 
one  knee,  pressed  his  lips  to  it. 

"  I'm  glad  you  told  me,  Donald." 

For  a  moment  he  could  hardly  believe  his  ears.  He 
looked  up  in  a  dazed,  wondering  fashion.  Her  face 
was  no  longer  averted.  Shy,  blushing,  but  smiling,  it 
was  turned  towards  him,  and  their  eyes  met.  Almost 
incredulously,  wonderingly  he  asked: 

''  Do  you  mean  that? "  (He  did  not  dare  say  her 
name. ) 

"  Yes,  Donald.'^ 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOVE  283 

He  bowed  his  head  again  over  the  hand  he  held, 
and  felt  her  other  hand  laid  softly,  timidly  on  his  wavy 
masses  of  fair  hair.  For  a  few  moments  it  rested 
there  like  a  benediction.  When  she  lifted  it  he  rose 
and,  turning  her  face  up  to  his,  gravely,  reverently 
pressed  upon  her  lips  the  sacramental  kiss  of  pledged 
love. 

For  a  time  they  sat  silent.  His  arm  was  around 
her.  Her  head  was  on  his  shoulder.  Her  forehead 
and  the  crown  of  rich  brown  hair  were  touching  his 
cheek.  Neither  wanted  to  speak.  Each  was  trying 
to  comprehend  the  mystery  of  love,  the  mystery  of 
two  souls  who  had  held  aloof  from  each  other,  and 
had  fenced  with  each  other,  and  had  strenuously  as- 
serted their  independence  of  each  other.  But  all  the 
time  they  had  been  restless  and  dissatisfied.  Then 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly  they  had  been  forced  to  con- 
fess that  they  could  not  be  happy  apart.  And  imme- 
diately in  that  confession  they  had  found  joy  unut- 
terable. Over  and  over  again  it  passed  through  their 
minds.  And  when  they  were  done  they  understood 
it  no  more  than  when  they  began.  But  they  knew 
the  fact. 

At  length  he  said: 

"  Jessie,  where  did  you  learn  my  name?  " 

She  slipped  her  hand  into  her  bosom  and  drew  out 
a  leaf  torn  from  a  pocketbook.  It  was  his  note  of 
thanks  for  the  refreshments  she  had  sent  to  the  hos- 
pital.   It  was  signed,  "  Donald  Sinclair." 

"  And  where  did  you  get  mine,  Donald  ?  " 

From  an  inner  pocket  close  to  his  heart  he  brought 
out  her  note  ending  with  the  words :  "  From  me.  Jes- 
sie MacAllister." 

"  If  it  had  not  been  for  those  four  words,  I  do  not 


^84  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

think  that  I  could  ever  have  had  the  courage  to  tell 
you  that  I  loved  you." 

''  I'm  so  glad  that  I  wrote  them.  I  tried  to  end  that 
note  in  formal  fashion,  but,  before  I  knew,  I  had  writ- 
ten those  words.  I  sealed  it  in  a  hurry  for  fear  I 
should  think  twice  and  change  them."  Her  face  was 
hidden  against  his  breast  now.  ...  "  And — I  know 
you  will  think  me  silly — after  the  blue-jacket  left,  I 
ran  out  to  call  him  back.  .  .  .    But  I  was  too  late." 

"  That's  once  I  can  thank  God  for  a  person's  being 
late,"  he  said,  as  he  lifted  her  face  to  his  own  and 
kissed  her  again,  but  with  more  of  the  passion  and 
abandon  of  love  than  before.  And  the  wonder  of  it 
grew  upon  him.  Over  and  over  again  he  kept  asking 
himself.  Was  this  the  proud  young  beauty  of  whom 
he  had  stood  in  awe?  Was  this  blushing,  tender  girl 
yielding  herself  to  his  embraces  and  responding  to 
his  kisses, — was  this  the  sprightly,  mischievous  belle 
of  the  dinner  party  who  had  teased  him,  and  made 
game  of  him,  and  held  him  up  to  be  laughed  at  by 
the  assembled  guests?  It  was  almost  incredible.  But 
it  was  true.     And  the  mystery  of  love  deepened. 

They  were  silent  for  a  while.  Thoughts  were  too 
busy  and  too  happy  for  speech.    Then  she  said : 

"  Donald,  I  know  that  this  will  sound  awfully  im- 
proper. But  I  do  not  want  mother  to  know  of  what 
has  taken  place  for  some  time.  She  would  be  so  dis- 
appointed and  angry  that  she  would  make  rash  state- 
ments. And  afterwards,  even  if  she  were  convinced 
that  she  had  been  wrong,  she  is  so  determined  that 
she  would  not  go  back  on  them." 

"  I  was  afraid  that  she  did  not  like  me,  Jessie." 

"  It  is  not  that  she  dislikes  you.  It  is  because  she 
is  ambitious  that  I  should  marry  a  man  with  a  title." 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOVE  285 

"  Carteret,  for  example,"  said  Sinclair,  with  a  smile. 

"  Yes,  Carteret.  And  I  hate  him,"  she  replied,  with 
a  flash  of  indignation.  "  I  shudder  every  time  he 
comes  near  me.  But  mother  has  accepted  him  as  a 
suitor.  She  has  not  been  so  taken  with  him  of  late, 
since  the  first  bombardment,  and  especially  since  the 
charge  of  Sergeant  Gorman's  Blues.  She  knew  that 
he  played  the  coward  both  times.  But  that  is  all  for- 
gotten again.    He  has  the  title." 

"  What!    Has  Carteret  succeeded  to  the  title?  " 

"  Yes.  He  got  word  by  the  Hcdloong's  mail.  The 
heir  with  the  one  lung  died  of  hemorrhage  while  cross- 
ing the  Channel.  His  father  died  of  shock  when  he 
was  told  of  it.  Carteret  is  now  Lord  Lewesthorpe. 
With  mother  the  title  has  blotted  out  all  his  sins.  She 
is  more  insistent  than  ever." 

"  Jessie,  if  Carteret  bothers  you,  I'll  wring  his  neck, 
and  the  Lewesthorpe  title  can  go  looking  for  another 
heir." 

"  Oh,  no,  Donald,  you  mustn't ! "  she  said,  in  a 
little  alarm,  as  she  felt  the  big  muscles  against  which 
she  leaned  swell  with  sudden  passion.  "  You  mustn't. 
Leave  it  to  me.  Mother  is  determined.  But  I  can  be 
determined,  too.  And  father  will  not  let  me  be  pushed 
too  far." 

"  I'll  do  whatever  you  want." 

**  Thank  you,  Donald.  If  mother  knew  now  that 
I  had  let  you  speak  to  me  of  love,  she  would  never 
forgive  me.  But  she  will  change.  There  is  some- 
thing coming  which  will  change  her.  I  do  not  know 
what  it  is.  But  I  know  that  it  is  coming.  We  are 
Highland,  you  know.     It  is  the  second  sight." 

The  lovers  sat  for  a  while  longer.  Then  she  looked 
at  her  watch : 


286  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"Oh,  Donald!  Do  you  know  that  we  have  been 
here  nearly  two  hours?" 

"  It  seemed  to  me  like  five  minutes,"  was  the  reply. 

She  gave  a  merry  laugh  and  said: 

"If  time  always  passes  so  quickly,  we'll  be  old 
before  we  know." 

"  I  wish  that  I  could  be  sure  that  the  days  after 
you  leave  would  only  pass  as  quickly,"  he  said,  a  trifle 
sadly. 

"  They'll  pass,  Donald.  I'll  be  thinking  of  you,  and 
you'll  be  thinking  of  me,  and  the  days  will  go.  But 
what  will  Mr.  McLeod  be  thinking  of  us,  that  we  have 
stayed  here  so  long?  And  isn't  it  strange  that  none 
of  the  Chinese  boys  ever  came  into  the  saloon  in 
those  two  hours?  " 

Sinclair  laughed  his  happy,  boyish  laugh. 

"  Trust  McLeod !  "  he  said.  "  Probably  he  could 
explain  the  prolonged  absence  of  the  boys,  as  well  as 
his  own." 

She  looked  at  him  archly. 

"I  am  not  sure  now  that  I  have  done  wisely  in 
giving  you  my  undivided  love,  Donald.  I  am  afraid 
that  I  am  not  getting  the  same  in  return.  I  am  really 
jealous  of  Mr.  McLeod." 

The  method  of  his  reply  need  not  be  described. 
She  was  satisfied  with  it.  And  when  they  stepped 
out  and  met  McLeod  on  the  deck  he  knew  without' 
being  told. 


XXXI 

ANCESTORS  AND  PEDIGREES 

THE  last  night  of  the  stay  of  the  MacAllisters 
in  Tamsui  had  come.  They  were  to  sail  for 
Hong-Kong  on  the  Hailoong  the  next  day. 
With  them  were  going  Mrs.  Beauchamp  and  Con- 
stance, Mrs.  MacKay  and  her  children,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thomson,  Carteret,  Clark,  and  a  number  of  others  of 
the  foreign  community.  The  consul  had  ordered  that 
all  the  foreign  women  and  children  should  leave  North 
Formosa.  A  number  of  the  men  who  had  no  taste 
for  the  scenes  and  chances  of  war  were  going  with 
them.  Mr.  MacAllister  feared  the  possibility  of  a 
blockade  and  so  chose  to  go  to  Hong-Kong,  where  he 
could  freely  prosecute  his  search. 

As  there  had  been  on  the  evening  after  their  ar- 
rival, so  there  was  the  evening  before  their  departure 
a  dinner  at  the  consulate.  This  time  the  guests  left 
early.  Many  of  them  were  preparing  for  a  hasty  de- 
parture. They  knew  that  their  hostess  had  likewise 
much  to  occupy  her  time  for  the  few  remaining  hours. 

Sinclair  had  gone  on  board  the  Hailoong  to  have  a 
farewell  talk  with  McLeod.  Sergeant  Gorman,  who 
had  been  dining  with  the  second  officer  and  the  second 
engineer,  joined  them  by  their  invitation.  They  were 
sitting  on  the  after  deck,  sheltered  from  the  raw  wind 
of  the  northeast  monsoon.  The  conversation  drifted 
from  point  to  point  of  recent  events.  AlcLeod  and 
Sinclair  led  Gorman  on  to  tell  in  his  inimitable  way 

287 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

incident  after  incident,  while  they  laughed  like  a  pair 
of  schoolboys  out  on  a  frolic. 

'*  You  never  told  me,  sergeant,  how  you  got  along 
with  Miss  MacAllister  and  Carteret  the  day  you  saw 
them  safely  home  after  the  charge  of  the  Tamsui 
Blues/^ 

Gorman  cocked  an  eye  at  Sinclair,  with  an  expres- 
sion which  was  irresistibly  comical. 

"  I  knew  that  it  wud  come,"  he  said.  "  You  did 
nobly,  docther.  You  held  your  whisht  for  a  full 
week.     But  I  knew  it  wud  come." 

"  That's  all  right,  Gorman,"  replied  Sinclair,  laugh- 
ing to  hide  a  little  confusion.  "  That's  all  right.  But 
that's  not  the  subject  under  discussion.  You  tell  us 
how  you  enjoyed  your  walk." 

"How  did  I  enjoy  it?  How  could  I  do  anything 
else  but  enjoy  it,  wid  the  young  lady  talkin'  to  me, 
and  askin'  me  questions  about  me  experiences  in  the 
wars,  an'  about  the  camp  and  the  hospital  at  Keelung ; 
and  the  two  bright  eyes  of  her  lookin'  at  me  so 
friendly  loike.  Fwhat  kind  of  a  man  wud  I  be  that 
wudn't  enjoy  it?  " 

"  So  the  young  lady  talked  to  you  all  the  way 
home  ?  "  said  McLeod. 

"  Yes,"  said  Gorman  with  a  wink  at  McLeod,  which 
distorted  all  one  side  of  his  face,  "  she  didn't  know 
that  I  was  a  married  man." 

McLeod  laughed  gaily  at  Sinclair.  The  latter  took 
Gorman's  banter  good-naturedly.  He  could  afford 
to  be  indulgent. 

"  How  did  Carteret  take  your  monopolizing  her?" 
he  asked. 

"  He  tould  me  that  it  wud  become  me  to  have  less 
to  say  in  the  prisince  of  me  betters.     '  Begorra,'  sez 


ANCESTORS  AND  PEDIGREES  289 

I,  *  barrin'  her  young  ladyship  here,  there's  none  of 
them  prisint  that  I  can  see/  sez  I.  '  An'  whin  it 
comes  to  savin'  young  ladies  from  General  Soon's 
Tamsui  Blues,  be  the  powers  I  haven't  been  seein' 
me  betters  around  here,  exceptin'  Docther  Sinclair, 
may  the  angels  make  his  bed  in  glory,'  sez  I.  Wid 
that  the  young  lady  fires  up  and  sez,  *  The  divil  a 
bit  of  it,'  sez  she.  *  We  don't  want  the  doctor  to  go 
to  glory  yet,'  sez  she." 

''  What !  What !  What's  that,  Gorman !  "  exclaimed 
McLeod,  while  Sinclair  was  fairly  shrieking  with 
laughter.  "  You  don't  mean  to  tell  us  that  Miss 
MacAllister  said  that — 'the  divil  a  bit  of  it.'  Did 
she  say  that  ?  " 

"  Och,  Mr.  McLeod,  now  you're  spoilin'  me  story. 
If  she  didn't  say  that  in  so  manny  wurrds,  she  thought 
it  annyway.  An'  fwhat's  the  difference?  But  I'll 
take  me  affydavit  on  it  that  she  did  say  that  she  didn't 
want  the  docther  here  to  go  to  glory  yet.  An'  I'm 
jist  tellin'  the  docther  for  his  comfort,  for  be  that 
sign,  they  were  very  encouragin'  wurrds." 

"  Did  Carteret  try  to  sit  on  you  again  ?  "  inquired 
Sinclair  when  they  ceased  laughing. 

"  He  did.  *  Sergeant,'  sez  he,  '  you're  too  free  with 
your  tongue.  Your  company  is  offensive,'  sez  he. 
*  You  may  consider  your  services  dispensed  with. 
And  I  shall  consider  it  my  duty  to  report  you  to  the 
consul.'  '  Bedad,'  sez  I,  '  if  you  had  been  a  little 
freer  wid  your  courage,  you  wudn't  have  needed  me 
company.  As  for  me  services,'  sez  I,  *  I'm  not  under 
your  orders.  I  was  sint  to  see  this  young  lady  safely 
home,'  sez  I.  *  An'  I  cudn't  think  of  lavin'  her  in 
your  care,  for  fear  you  might  chanst  to  meet  a  field- 
mouse  by  the   way,   an'   you  moight   run,   an'   lave 


290  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

her  to  be  devoured  by  the  feroshus  wild  beast/ 
sez  L 

"  Wid  that  the  young  lady  tuk  to  laughin'  an* 
laughed  so  that  I  cudn't  finish  wid  the  spalpeen  for 
say  in'  that  he'd  report  me  to  the  consul.  I  was  jist 
goin'  to  be  afther  tellin'  him  that  afther  a  consultashun 
together  wid  the  consul,  I  had  decided  to  deport  him 
from  the  island.  But  the  young  lady  sez,  sez  she, 
'Mr.  Carteret,  if  I  wish  to  talk  to  Sergeant  Gorman, 
I  do  not  see  why  you  should  object.  I  hope  that  you 
will  not  interfere  with  him  again,  and  I'm  sure  that 
Sergeant  Gorman  will  not  say  anything  more  to  offend 
you.'  " 

"  Then  the  rest  of  your  walk  was  quite  peaceful 
and  agreeable,"  said  Sinclair. 

'^  It  was,"  replied  the  sergeant.  "  You  see  the 
young  lady  and  I  talked  all  the  rest  of  the  way.  An' 
that  spalpeen  of  a  Carteret  was  as  paceful  as  you 
plase,  walkin'  on  the  other  side  of  her,  kind  of  sulky 
an'  hang-dog  loike,  for  niver  another  wurrd  did  she 
say  to  him." 

''  You  must  have  enjoyed  it,  for  I  never  before 
knew  you  to  take  so  long  a  time  on  so  short  an 
expedition." 

"  Och,  docther,  I  wudn't  have  thought  it  of  you. 
But  seein'  that  it's  troublin'  you,  I'll  just  make  your 
moind  aisy  by  tellin'  you  that  I  wasn't  wid  the  young 
lady  all  the  toime.    Part  of  it  I  was  wid  her  mother." 

"  Did  Carteret  tell  her  mother  what  had  really 
happened?"  asked  McLeod. 

''  I  hadn't  the  honor  of  hearin'  what  he  did  tell 
her.  But  she  wasn't  jist  taken  wid  it,  for  she  asked 
me  to  wait,  an'  afther  the  spalpeen  was  gone,  she 
tould  me  to  step  in,  for  she  wanted  to  have  some 


ANCESTORS  AND  PEDIGREES  291 

conversashun  wid  me.  '  Wid  pleasure,  ma'm,'  sez  I. 
*  Sergeant,'  sez  she,  '  are  these  water-buffaloes  dan- 
gerous to  people  ?  '  '  That  all  depinds  on  the  people,' 
sez  I.  '  But  are  they  not  very  ferocious  beasts?  '  sez 
she.  *  Ag'in  that  depinds,'  sez  I.  '  If  there's  a  bit  of  a 
shillelagh  wid  a  man  behind  it,  they're  as  p'aceful 
as  lambs  in  spring-time.  But  if  there's  nothin'  but 
a  paint-brush,  wid  a  good-for-nothin'  omadhaun  at 
the  back  of  it,'  sez  I,  '  thin  they  bate  Bengal  tigers.' 

"  Wid  that  she  got  very  red.  '  Mr.  Carteret's  a 
gentleman,'  sez  she.  '  Maybe,'  sez  I.  '  He's  well- 
born,' sez  she.     '  The  divil,'  sez  I." 

"  You  would   say   that,"   interrupted  McLeod. 

"  Och,  Mr.  McLeod,  there  you'd  be  afther  spoilin' 
me  story  agin.  An'  now  that  you  call  it  to  me  moind, 
I  didn't  say  that  nayther,  seein'  that  it  was  a  lady  I 
was  talkin'  to.  Fwhat  I  did  say  was  this,  that  I  didn't 
know  that  he  was  anny  better  born  than  the  rest  of 
us;  an'  though  I  did  not  remember  much  about  the 
occasion,  I  always  onderstood  that  me  own  mother, 
consider  in'  her  opportunities,  had  brought  me  into 
the  wurrld  jist  about  as  nately  as  a  duchess  could 
have  done. 

"  Wid  that  she  gave  a  bit  of  a  laugh,  an'  sez,  '  No 
doubt.  Sergeant  Gorman!  But  I  didn't  mean  it  just 
that  way,'  sez  she.  '  I  meant  that  his  ancestors  have 
been  men  of  rank  and  noble  birth  for  generations.' 
'  As  for  that,'  sez  I,  '  I  don't  take  much  stock  in  me 
pedigree,'  sez  I.  'A  man  don't  go  far  wid  his 
ancesthors  till  he  foinds  wan  he'd  loike  to  trade  off 
for  some  wan  else.  But  seein'  that  they  are  both 
dead  an'  done  wid,  he  can't  do  it  convaniently.  To 
illustrate,  I'll  jist  tell  your  ladyship  how  it  happened 
to  mesilf,'  sez  I. 


292  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  '  Wanst  whin  I  was  in  Indy,  I  tuk  it  into  me  moind 
to  go  home  to  Ireland  an'  hunt  up  me  ancesthors. 
I  came  to  me  birthplace,  Sleeahtballymackcurragha- 
licky  in  County  Cork,  an'  tould  the  ouldest  man  in 
the  place  who  I  was  an'  what  was  me  business.  "  Yis," 
sez  he,  "  yis;  I  don't  know  you;  but  I've  hard  of  you, 
an'  I  knowed  your  fader.  Your  name  is  John  Gorman. 
Your  fader's  was  Shon  Jay  Pay.  His  fader  was 
Shon  Mor.  An'  his  fader  was  another  Shon  who 
was  hanged  by  the  English  for  bein'  a  Rory  of  the 
Hills."  An',  ma'am,'  sez  I,  '  wud  you  believe  me,  I 
didn't  pursue  me  ancesthors  anny  farder — shure  as 
I'm  a  livin'  man.  I  didn't  pursue  me  dead  an'  gone 
ancesthors  anny  farder.' 

"  '  But,'  sez  she,  wid  a  little  laugh,  '  Mr.  Carteret's 
ancestors  were  not  like  that.  They  were  noblemen. 
His  father  is  an  earl.  His  oldest  brother  is  the  heir. 
But  his  father  is  an  old  man,  and  cannot  live  long, 
and  the  heir  has  only  one  lung,  and  when  he  dies, 
Mr.  Carteret  will  succeed  to  the  title  and  the  estates.' 
*  Well,  ma'am,'  sez  I,  *  if  it's  my  opinion  you  want, 
it's  this.  The  heir  shud  trade  off  his  wan  lung  wid 
an  auctioneer  for  his  two,  an'  give  him  £100,000  to 
boot.  For  it's  little  honor  will  be  done  to  the  title, 
an'  little  profit  to  the  estates,  if  that  spalpeen  of  a 
Carteret  gets  thim,'  sez  I,  '  beggin'  your  ladyship's 
pardon  for  talkin'  so  freely  in  your  prisince.' 

"  Thin  she  got  very  red  agin.  Afther  a  bit  she 
sez,  *  Thank  you.  Sergeant  Gorman,  for  your  opin- 
ions,' sez  she.  *  Here's  a  guinea  for  you.'  '  Thank  you, 
ma'am,'  sez  I,  *  but  I'm  nayther  a  lawyer  to  be  sellin' 
me  gab  for  money,  nor  a  beggar  to  be  takin'  charity,' 
sez  I.  '  I'm  the  son  of  an  Irish  gentleman.'  Wid  that 
she   looked   at   me    kind   of   curious   loike,   an'    sez. 


ANCESTORS  AND  PEDIGREES  293 

*  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Gorman,  for  offering  it  to  you. 
But  just  the  same  I  want  to  thank  you  for  your  serv- 
ices to  my  daughter  and  to  me,'  an'  she  reached  out 
her  hand  an'  shook  hands  wid  me  rale  friendly  loike." 
When  Sinclair,  McLeod,  and  Gorman  separated  that 
night,  Sinclair  saw  before  him  the  possibility  of  a 
change  of  attitude  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  MacAllister 
towards  Carteret  and  himself. 


XXXII 
A  MAN  AND  A  WOMAN. 

THE  day  of  departure  had  come.  The  Hailoong 
was  floating  on  a  full  tide,  ready  to  cast 
off.  Those  who  were  remaining  were  down 
to  bid  farewell  to  those  who  were  going.  Impedi- 
menta had  been  stored  away,  and  all  had  gathered 
in  two  groups  on  the  promenade  deck.  Dr.  MacKay, 
his  wife  and  children,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomson,  and 
a  number  of  native  students  and  preachers,  formed 
one  group.  The  Beauchamps,  the  MacAllisters,  Com- 
mander Gardenier,  Boville,  Carteret  (for  the  resi- 
dents still  called  him  by  the  name  by  which  they  had 
known  him  all  along),  and  most  of  the  young  men  of 
the  customs  and  mercantile  staffs,  formed  the  other. 

Dr.  Sinclair,  who  had  been  busy  helping  in  the 
hasty  preparations  for  departure,  walked  forward 
along  the  side  of  the  deck  next  the  dock.  Miss 
MacAllister  disengaged  herself  from  the  little  group 
and  stepped  to  the  rail,  as  though  to  watch  the  last 
incidents  of  the  embarkation.  They  met  on  the  very 
spot  where  they  had  stood  that  memorable  evening 
on  which  the  Hailoong  put  out  from  Amoy  to  face 
the  capricious  seas  of  the  Channel. 

What  a  change  had  come  in  their  relations !  They 
knew  that  many  eyes  were  watching  them.  Their 
words,  if  spoken  above  a  whisper,  would  be  audible. 
There  could  be  no  demonstration,  scarcely  even  a 
sign  of  understanding  or  affection.  Yet  there  was 
the  attitude  of  perfect  confidence.     And  when  their 

294 


A  MAN  AND  A  WOMAN  295 

eyes  met,  they  spoke  a  language  which  both  under- 
stood. 

'*  This  scene  must  have  grown  very  familiar  to  you 
in  the  last  two  and  a  half  months,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied.  ''  For  that  reason  one  is  apt 
to  pass  over  many  of  the  features  of  it  without  noting 
them.    I  want  to  impress  on  my  memory  every  detail." 

"  Isn't  it  strange,"  he  said  in  a  very  low  tone,  "  that 
this  little  port  in  a  strange  land,  should  so  quickly 
have  become  a  sacred  spot  to  us?  " 

"  The  most  sacred  spot  in  all  the  world,"  she  replied 
softly. 

Some  one  called  to  them,  and  they  both  turned  at 
once,  and  stood  side  by  side  facing  the  company. 

"  What  a  magnificent-looking  pair  they  make !  " 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Thomson,  in  a  sudden  enthusiasm 
forgetting  that  the  voice  would  carry  to  the  ears  of 
all  present. 

"Was  that  what  you  called  us  to  hear?"  Miss 
MacAllister  flashed  back.  "  It  certainly  was  worth 
while.  Do  you  not  think  so.  Dr.  Sinclair?"  She 
laughed  gaily,  a  little  defiantly,  for  she  had  seen  the 
expression  on  her  mother's  face. 

"I  certainly  do.  And  I'm  proud  to  shine  with  the 
reflected  light  of  beauty,"  he  replied. 

"  Oh,  you !    You  are  worse  than  they  are." 

She  turned  hastily  to  the  rail  again,  to  hide  her 
blushes.  Her  mother  set  her  lips  very  tightly  together, 
lifted  her  head  very  high,  and  sniffed.  She  was  more 
intent  than  ever  on  forcing  her  daughter  to  marry 
Carteret.  Whatever  doubts  of  his  suitability  to  be  a 
good  husband  she  may  have  entertained,  had  vanished 
with  his  actual  successsion  to  the  title.  A  peerage 
can  cover  a  multitude  of  sins. 


^96  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  All  aboard !  "  rang  out  in  English  and  Chinese. 
Men  sprang  to  the  hawsers  to  cast  off.  At  that  instant 
a  sedan  chair,  with  sweating  bearers  on  the  run, 
reached  the  dock  and  was  dropped  at  the  end  of  the 
gang  plank.  An  unusually  pretty  Chinese  girl  of 
seventeen  or  eighteen  years,  richly  dressed,  and  bear- 
ing in  her  arms  a  child  of  a  few  months  old,  stepped 
hastily  out  of  it,  and  ran  for  the  gangway  as  fast  as 
her  bound  feet  would  carry  her.  One  look  at  the 
child  was  enough  to  learn  its  story.  Almost  as  dark 
as  a  Chinese  in  complexion,  the  features  were  dis- 
tinctly European.  It  was  a  Eurasian,  the  child  of  a 
European  father  and  an  Asiatic  mother. 

At  the  sight  of  the  sedan  chair  Carteret  had  turned 
abruptly  from  the  group  on  deck,  and  had  run  down 
the  ladder.  The  next  instant  his  voice  was  heard  by 
those  who  leaned  on  the  rail,  speaking,  not  loudly, 
but  in  tones  of  restrained  fury. 

"  Put  that  woman  off.  Don't  let  her  on  board  this 
boat,"  uttered  to  the  accompaniment  of  savage  oaths. 

"  Stand  back,  Mr.  Carteret.  It  is  not  for  you  to 
say  who  will  be  a  passenger  on  this  boat.  This  woman 
has  money  to  pay  her  passage,  and  she  has  the  same 
rights  as  you  have.    Make  way  there." 

It  was  McLeod's  voice,  clear  and  cold  and  hard  as 
steel. 

Sinclair  and  Miss  MacAllister  did  not  look  at  each 
other  for  some  moments.  The  others  on  the  deck 
heard  only  very  imperfectly  what  was  said  below. 
Some  of  the  men  talked  continuously  and  loudly,  so 
that  the  women  might  not  hear.  When  Miss 
MacAllister's  eyes  did  meet  Sinclair's,  they  had  in 
them  such  a  look  of  confidence  and  content  that  the 
memory  of  it  never  faded  from  his  mind. 


I'll  be  thinking  of  you,  Donald,  and  you'll  be  thinking 
of  me  " 


A  MAN  AND  A  WOMAN  297 

There  was  no  opportunity  for  them  to  speak  such 
farewells  as  their  hearts  craved.  Once  she  had  the 
chance  to  whisper, 

**  I'll  be  thinking  of  you,  Donald,  and  you'll  be 
thinking  of  me." 

His  answer  was, 

"  And  I'll  come  to  you,  Jessie,  though  all  the  world 
try  to  keep  us  apart." 

As  the  general  farewells  were  said,  Constance 
Beauchamp  shook  hands  with  Sinclair  gravely, 
sedately ;  stood  for  an  instant  irresolute,  and  then  with 
a  movement  as  light  as  that  of  a  fawn,  sprang  into 
his  arms,  clasped  hers  around  his  neck  and  kissed  him 
again  and  again,  before  them  all.  She  had  another 
parting  boon  to  bestow. 

"  I  am  going  away  where  I  can't  see  you.  Dr. 
Sinclair.  You  may  get  your  hair  cut  whenever  you 
wish.    But  keep  one  of  the  curls  for  me." 

And  Miss  MacAllister  looking  on,  felt  no  jealous 
pang. 

Amidst  waving  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  the 
Hailoong  swung  out  into  the  stream,  and  started  on 
her  voyage,  with  her  strangely  assorted  freight  of 
humanity,  going  to  their  various  destinies.  Among 
those  surely  none  were  more  tragic  than  the  destinies 
of  a  man,  of  a  woman,  and  of  their  child.  He  was 
bound  for  an  English  earldom,  and  a  seat  in  the  House 
of  Lords.  She  was  to  drift  into  a  native  brothel, 
frequented  by  the  degraded  of  all  nationalities,  in 
the  great  cosmopolitan  port  of  Hong-Kong.  Their 
child  was  to  grow  up  in  the  streets  of  that  tropical 
city,  a  nameless,  mongrel  waif,  never  to  know  his 
father's  face,  till  he  should  stand  as  his  accuser  before 
the  judgment  seat  of  God. 


XXXIII 
MY  CHILDREN  IN  THE  LORD 

"  X^R.  MacKAY,  you  are  not  well." 

I     1  ''  I  know  that,  Dr.  Sinclair.'' 

*  ^  ''  You  have  a  temperature,  I'm  sure.  Have 
you  taken  it  ?  " 

^'No." 

"  How's  that?  I  thought  that  you  were  careful  to 
watch  your  health.  You  told  me  that  you  could  not 
afford  to  be  sick." 

"  So  I  am,  as  a  rule.  But  I  could  not  take  it  this 
time  till  my  wife  left.  She  would  not  have  gone  if 
she  had  known." 

"  You  should  have  gone  yourself.  The  strain  has 
been  too  much  for  you.  Knowing  the  shape  you  are 
in,  why  didn't  you  take  a  trip  to  Hong-Kong,  or  at 
least  to  Amoy,  and  rest  a  while?  " 

"  That  would  be  to  play  the  part  of  a  hireling 
shepherd.  *  He  that  is  an  hireling,  and  not  the  shep- 
herd, whose  own  the  sheep  are  not,  seeth  the  wolf 
coming,  and  leaveth  the  sheep,  and  fleeth,  and  the  wolf 
catcheth  them  and  scattereth  the  sheep.  The  hireling 
fleeth  because  he  is  an  hireling  and  careth  not  for  the 
sheep.' " 

Sinclair  was  silent  while  he  counted  the  pulse,  and 
awaited  the  report  of  the  thermometer.  When  he 
looked  at  it,  his  face  was  grave. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  MacKay.  ''You  need  not 
hesitate  to  tell  me.    Is  it  high  ?  " 

298 


MY  CHILDREN  IN  THE  LORD         299 

"  Too  high  for  a  man  to  have  and  be  walking  about. 
One  hundred  and  three  and  four-fifths." 

"  If  it  were  malaria,  I  should  not  mind.  I  have 
worked  for  days  on  the  East  Coast  with  an  average 
of  one  hundred  and  three.  But  this  is  not  malaria. 
I  cannot  be  deceived  in  it.    I  know  malaria  too  well." 

"Where  is  the  trouble?" 

"  In  my  head." 

"  So  I  thought.  We  must  get  you  to  bed.  I'll  send 
a  chit  to  Bergmann.    He  is  your  doctor." 

That  was  the  beginning  of  the  fight  for  life. 
MacKay  was  battling  with  all  the  determination  of 
his  nature  against  cerebral  meningitis.  The  battle 
was  not  very  long,  but  it  was  exceedingly  sharp.  By 
his  bedside  all  the  time  sat  one  or  other  of  the  three 
doctors.  This  stern,  reserved,  intensely  concentrated 
man  had  won  their  respect  and  admiration,  and  no 
effort  was  spared  to  save  his  life.  Native  students, 
trained  in  the  elements  of  nursing,  glided  noiselessly 
in  and  out  of  the  room.  Over  at  the  college,  where 
the  native  preachers,  elders,  and  students  assembled, 
a  continuous  prayer-meeting  was  in  progress,  these 
yellow  and  brown-skinned  men  who  "  ain't  got  no 
souls,"  praying  with  the  simple  faith  of  little  children 
that  their  beloved  pastor  might  be  restored  to  health. 

On  the  white  bed  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  beneath 
its  drapery  of  mosquito  curtains,  MacKay's  burning 
head  turned  ceaselessly  from  side  to  side,  day  and 
night,  day  and  night  without  sleep.  And  day  and 
night,  day  and  night  he  talked,  talked,  talked,  some- 
times in  English,  sometimes  in  Chinese,  talked  without 
pause  or  cessation  about  his  converts,  the  church  which 
he  had  brought  into  being. 

"  My  people !  .  .  .    My  people !  .  .  .    My  children 


300  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

in  the  Lord!  .  .  .  Who  will  take  care  of  them? 
My  sheep!  .  .  .  My  poor  sheep!  ...  Left  without 
a  shepherd!  .  .  .  Who  will  feed  them!  .  .  .  My 
little  lambs !  My  little  lambs !  .  .  .  Who  will  protect 
them  from  the  wolves?  ...  O  God!  I  commend 
them  to  Thee !  .  .  .  My  children !  My  children  in  the 
Lord!" 

One  day  the  raving  suddenly  ceased.  Sinclair, 
startled  by  the  unwonted  silence,  stepped  to  his  bed- 
side and  threw  back  the  curtains.  MacKay  was  sitting 
bolt  upright  in  bed.  The  fire  of  the  fever  was  still 
in  his  face  and  eye.  But  his  voice  was  perfectly 
natural,  his  manner  calm  and  collected. 

''Dr.  Sinclair,  what  shall  I  do  for  my  people?  If 
I  die,  there  is  no  one  to  take  care  of  them.  Mr. 
Thomson  is  not  able  now — perhaps  never  will  be  able. 
No  person  could  come  from  Canada  for  a  year,  and 
when  one  would  come,  he  would  need  another  year  or 
two  for  the  language.  Some  of  the  native  preachers 
are  able,  but  none  of  them  have  authority  to  take  the 
lead  of  their  fellows.     What  shall  I  do?" 

"Do  not  worry  about  that  now,"  replied  Sinclair 
soothingly.  "  There  is  the  Good  Shepherd  still  to  lead 
His  sheep.  Leave  it  to  Him.  It  is  for  you  now  to 
recover  your  strength." 

"  I  am  resolved  what  to  do,"  MacKay  went  on,  as 
if  without  noticing  Sinclair's  reply.  "  I  shall  ordain 
A  Hoa  and  Tan  He,*  the  two  ablest  of  the  preachers. 
That  will  give  them  authority  to  lead  their  brethren. 
That  will  make  them  pastors,  shepherds  of  the  sheep. 
It's  irregular,  I  know.  A  presbytery  should  ordain. 
I'm  not  a  presbytery.  It's  unusual.  But  unusual  cir- 
cumstances demand  unusual  methods.     If  I  live,  the 

*  Pronounced,  Hay. 


MY  CHILDREN  IN  THE  LORD  301 

church  lawyers  at  home  will  crucify  me  for  it.  If  I 
die,  they'll  condone  my  action,  praise  me  in  public, 
and  scarify  me  in  private.  But  neither  their  praise 
nor  their  blame  can  touch  me  then." 

"  The  church  lawyers  be  hanged,  hanged  in  their 
own  red  tape !  "  exclaimed  Sinclair  savagely.  *'  They 
have  never  seen  anything  but  their  own  little  parishes, 
and  they  think  their  tuppenny  parochial  rules  can  be 
applied  to  the  whole  world." 

''  I  know,  Dr.  Sinclair,  I  know.  What  saith  the 
Scripture  ?  '  Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people 
perish.'  But  I  am  resolved  that  my  people  shall  not 
perish.  .  .  .  Leng-a,"  he  said  in  Chinese  to  the 
student  nurse,  "  call  A  Hoa  and  Tan  He  to  come  here. 
Call  all  the  other  preachers,  the  students  and  elders 
to  come  at  once." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  room  was  full  of  native 
Christians,  while  others  stood  in  the  hall  on  one  side, 
or  out  on  the  verandah  on  the  other.  Briefly  and 
impressively  MacKay  explained  to  them  the  need  and 
his  resolve,  charged  the  two  preachers  to  accept  the 
holy  office,  asked  them  the  prescribed  questions,  and 
then,  when  they  had  knelt  beside  his  bed,  he  laid  a 
hand  upon  the  head  of  each  and  reverently,  solemnly 
said  in  Chinese, 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only 
King  and  Head  of  the  Church,  and  by  the  authority 
He  has  given  me  when  He  committed  to  me  the  care 
of  these  His  people,  I  invite  you  to  take  part  of  this 
ministry  with  me,  and  commit  to  your  care  these  my 
children  in  the  Lord." 

Tears  glistened  on  the  faces  of  the  natives.  Sobs 
broke  from  many  of  them.  But  the  sick  man  con- 
tinued resolutely,  now  in  English, 


302  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,  I  have  written  to  the  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Committee  of  our  Church,  asking  them  to  appoint 
you  a  medical  missionary  in  North  Formosa.  That 
is  your  desire?'* 

"  It  is." 

"  If  they  grant  my  request — I  do  not  say  that  they 
will — but  if  they  do,  do  you  promise  to  stay  with 
these  people  as  long  as  you  may  find  it  possible  so  to 
do,  to  heal  their  souls  as  well  as  their  bodies,  and  to 
give  these  native  brethren  your  counsel,  according 
as  the  Lord  gives  you  wisdom  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  I  am  content." 

With  the  benediction  the  Chinese  softly  withdrew. 
The  sick  man  fell  back  exhausted  on  the  pillows,  soon 
to  be  tossing  and  raving  in  delirium  again.  But  over 
in  the  little  college  building  the  native  Christians,  led 
by  their  two  new-made  pastors,  bowed  themselves 
continuously  in  prayer  for  the  life  which  was  more 
than  any  other  life  to  them. 

Was  it  in  answer  to  those  prayers  that  ice  was 
unexpectedly  brought  into  that  port  in  that  tropic 
clime?  Who  knows?  So  many  things  are  veiled 
from  our  eyes!  But  certain  it  is  that  when  the  ice 
was  heaped  about  his  fevered  head,  MacKay  fell  into 
a  sweet,  childlike  sleep,  from  which  he  did  not  awake 
for  thirty-six  hours.  And  when  he  awoke  he  was 
saved. 

A  few  days  later,  under  compulsion  from  the  three 
doctors,  he  sailed  on  board  the  Fokien  to  join  his 
family  in  Hong-Kong  and  rest.  The  day  afterwards 
the  French  admiral  declared  a  blockade,  and  Formosa 
was  sealed  against  the  world. 


XXXIV 
THE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LEGION 

FOR  the  five  months  from  October  till  March 
Dr.  Sinclair  and  Sergeant  Gorman  were  with 
the  Chinese  forces  before  Keelung.  For  those 
five  months  rain  fell  almost  continuously.  Clouds 
drifted  in  from  the  sea,  trailed  through  the  valleys,  and 
crept  up  the  mountain  sides,  discharging  their  burdens 
of  water  as  they  went.  The  earth  was  sodden  under 
foot.  Walls  and  roofs  sweated  moisture.  Tents  and 
clothing  mildewed.  Food  moulded  and  rotted  in  the 
constant  wet.  Scarcely  ever  a  gleam  of  sunshine  broke 
through  the  leaden  canopy  of  cloud  to  cleanse  the 
reeking  earth  and  atmosphere.  For  one  period  of 
forty-five  days  the  rain  never  ceased  for  an  hour. 

All  through  the  wretched  winter  French  transports 
arrived  bringing  reinforcements,  and  left  again  carry- 
ing sick  and  wounded  men.  All  through  the  winter 
a  succession  of  petty  conflicts  took  place,  a  series  of 
harassing,  ineffectual  actions  was  fought.  A  French 
column  would  issue  from  Keelung,  plunge  through 
roads  which  were  nought  but  channels  of  liquid  mud, 
struggle  up  dripping  heights,  through  the  tall  grasses 
and  ferns  and  brush,  exposed  to  the  fire  of  concealed 
sharp-shooters,  and  drive  the  enemy  from  the  top  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet,  only  to  find  that  their  labour 
and  the  price  of  blood  paid  was  all  in  vain.  In  some 
cases  the  small  forces  they  were  able  to  spare  could 

303 


304.  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

not  hold  the  heights  against  the  rallying  Chinese.  In 
others  immediately  behind  they  discovered  higher  and 
more  strongly  fortified  posts  dominating  those  that 
they  had  captured. 

All  the  while  the  French  cemetery  on  the  east 
side  of  the  harbour,  which  they  had  named  La 
Galissonniere,  was  growing  more  and  more  populous 
at  an  alarming  rate.  Typhoid  fever,  malarial  fever, 
cholera  were  far  more  dangerous  than  the  bullets  and 
knives  of  the  Chinese.  In  spite  of  the  numbers  of  sick 
and  wounded  men  sent  home  to  France,  by  the  time 
the  winter  had  passed  into  summer  seven  hundred  of 
the  small  force  employed  had  been  laid  away  in  the 
rain-soaked,  wave-beaten  beach  at  Keelung. 

Meanwhile  still  heavier  losses  were  suffered  by  the 
Chinese.  The  superior  discipline  and  arms  of  the 
French  more  than  compensated  for  their  inferiority 
in  numbers,  and  enabled  them  to  work  havoc  in  the 
close-set  ranks  of  the  Chinese.  The  little  hospital  at 
Loan-Loan  was  always  filled  with  wounded.  Some- 
times they  overflowed  into  the  neighbouring  houses 
requisitioned  by  the  military  authorities  for  the 
purpose. 

Among  these  wounded  men  Sinclair  and  Gorman 
worked  almost  day  and  night.  When  a  battle  was  in 
progress,  one  or  other  went  out  with  the  ambulance 
corps,  gave  the  wounded  first  aid  on  the  field,  and 
forwarded  them  to  the  hospital  for  fuller  treatment 
there.  Under  leaden  skies  and  the  incessant  down>^ 
pour  of  rain,  with  insufficient  medicines  and  equip- 
ment, and  subsisting  on  poor  native  food,  they  worked 
on  week  after  week,  month  after  month. 

Perhaps  what  was  hardest  to  bear  was  the  fact 
that  during  all  those  months  not  a  word  reached  them 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LEGION        305 

from  the  outside  world.  The  blockade  had  effectually 
excluded  all  mails.  Gorman  heard  nothing  from  his 
family  in  Amoy.  Sinclair  had  never  a  line  from 
Hong-Kong. 

"  Bedad,"  said  Gorman  one  day,  "  this  is  a  time 
when  a  man  would  be  glad  to  be  afther  seein'  the 
shape  of  a  letter,  even  if  it  were  only  from  his  mother- 
in-law." 

**  Let  me  have  a  look  at  your  tongue,  and  a  feel  of 
your  pulse,  Gorman !  "  exclaimed  Sinclair,  reaching 
for  the  sergeant's  wrist.  ^'  I  knew  that  you  were  in  a 
bad  way.  But  I  had  no  idea  that  you  were  so  far 
gone  as  that." 

"  Och,  docther,  but  wudn't  I  show  you  the  iligances 
of  an  Irish  jig,  if  the  ould  lady  wud  only  write  to  me 
that  she  was  dead  an'  p'ace fully  departed.  Then  I 
cud  go  home  to  me  wife  an'  childer." 

It  was  a  time  when  men  were  tested.  Daily,  hourly, 
Sinclair  thought  of  the  girl  he  loved,  spending  the 
winter  in  Hong-Kong,  subject  to  the  attentions  and 
solicitations  of  the  now  titled  Carteret,  and  the  pres- 
sure brought  to  bear  by  her  mother.  His  hands  would 
clench  and  his  jaws  set  hard.  But  he  was  sure  that 
Jessie  MacAUister  would  do  her  part.  Over  and  over 
again  her  farewell  words  kept  running  through  his 
mind,  "  I'll  be  thinking  of  you,  Donald,  and  you'll  be 
thinking  of  me." 

The  longest  and  dreariest  months  will  always  come 
to  an  end.  When  February  had  passed,  the  skies 
began  to  clear  sometimes.  The  first  week  of  March 
had  some  beautiful  days. 

With  this  came  renewed  activity  on  the  part  of  the 
French.  In  a  series  of  actions  lasting  five  days,  March 
3d  to  7th,  they  succeeded  in  capturing  some  of  the 


S06  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

strongest  Chinese  positions  on  the  mountain-tops  near 
Loan-Loan. 

Sinclair  had  chosen  for  his  field  hospital  and  ambu- 
lance station  a  situation  at  the  back  of  the  post  most 
strongly  fortified  by  the  Chinese.  It  was  a  mountain 
with  a  steep,  almost  perpendicular  ascent,  covered  with 
grass  and  ferns  and  bamboos,  on  the  side  of  the  French 
attack.  In  this  cover  the  Chinese  irregulars  were 
hidden.  The  crest  of  the  hill  was  crowned  by  an 
interwoven  fence  of  sharpened  bamboos,  a  veritable 
chevaux-de-frise.  Three  other  lines  of  entrench- 
ments extended  along  the  face  of  the  hill,  and  had  to 
be  crossed  by  the  assailants  before  the  main  position 
of  the  Chinese  could  be  reached. 

Behind  the  bamboo  stockade,  on  the  slope  which 
led  down  towards  the  valley  in  which  the  river  and 
the  town  lay,  was  a  strong  force  of  regular  troops. 
Their  right  was  commanded  by  the  American,  Silas  Z. 
Leatherbottom;  their  left  by  a  young  Chinese  officer, 
trained  abroad.  Gorman  was  with  the  right;  Sinclair 
with  the  left. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  the  five.  On  an  opposing  hill 
which  they  had  captured  two  days  before,  the  French 
camp  was  plainly  to  be  seen.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  movement  of  troops  began.  A  column  moved  off 
the  open  plateau  and  disappeared  in  the  fog  which 
hung  in  the  valley,  as  if  to  attack  the  Chinese  right. 
Before  long  heavy  firing  was  heard  in  that  direction, 
and  Chinese  troops  were  moved  across  from  the  left 
to  strengthen  the  right  under  the  American. 

Unexpectedly  rifle  firing  broke  out  under  the  curtain 
of  mist  in  the  valley  directly  in  front.  The  French 
mountain  guns  on  the  opposite  hill  began  to  search 
the  Chinese  left.    In  an  interval  of  the  firing  the  order 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LEGION        SOY 

*'  Ba'ionnettes  au  canon!  En  avant!"  floated  up  to 
where  Sinclair  stood  with  some  Chinese  officers  on 
the  crest.  The  loud  "  Hourras ! "  of  the  French 
soldiers  mingled  with  the  shrill  yells  of  the  Chinese, 
and  the  crackling  of  rifles.  The  French  were  charging 
the  first  line  of  entrenchments  with  the  bayonet. 

It  was  taken,  and  they  pressed  their  retreating  foes 
on  to  the  second.  It  too  was  captured,  and  in  the 
same  way  the  third.  All  the  while  their  progress 
could  be  judged  only  by  the  sounds  which  came  up 
through  the  canopy  of  fog. 

Now  the  helmets  of  the  Europeans  began  to  appear 
through  the  veil  of  mist.  They  were  at  the  foot  of 
the  last  steep  ascent,  with  its  bamboo  palisade  at  the 
top.  The  Chinese  defenders  poured  on  them  a  perfect 
hail  of  bullets.  The  ascent  was  so  steep,  the  storm  of 
lead  so  terrible,  that  even  those  seasoned  troops  shrank 
from  it.  The  foremost,  a  company  of  the  Bataillon 
d'Afrique,  swung  off  to  the  left  in  search  of  an  easier 
ascent  and  less  deadly  fire.  Another  company  of  the 
same  regiment  dashed  straight  at  the  steep  hill-side. 
But  the  deadly  fire  of  the  Chinese  mowed  the  foremost 
of  them  down.  A  company  in  a  different  uniform, 
which  had  been  held  in  reserve,  two  hundred  strong, 
was  ordered  to  their  support.  On  they  came  with  a 
rush,  cheering  each  other  in  a  perfect  babel  of  tongues. 
The  ''En  avant"  of  their  officers  was  echoed  in  al- 
most every  language^ of  Europe.  It  was  a  company  of 
the  famous  Legion  Etrangere^  the  Foreign  Legion. 

Their  polyglot  cries  mingled  with  the  French  of 
the  Bataillon  d'Afrique,  as  in  regimental  rivalry  they 
struggled  up  that  terrible  ascent.  Bamboo  scaling 
ladders  were  placed,  only  to  be  thrown  down.  Men 
climbed  them,  only  to  be  crushed  by  the  rocks  which 


308  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

the  Chinese  hurled  upon  them  in  savage  hand-to-hand 
warfare.  But  the  assailants  did  not  draw  back. 
French,  Austrians,  Germans,  Italians,  Corsicans, 
Poles,  men  of  Alsace-Lorraine,  exiles  from  every  land 
of  Europe,  they  struggled  desperately  up.  They 
fought  their  way  to  the  palisade,  hewed  gaps  in  it, 
and  formed  on  top. 

The  Chinese  irregulars,  driven  in  on  their  regular 
troops,  threw  the  latter  into  confusion.  In  spite  of 
the  gallant  efforts  of  their  young  commander,  most  of 
them  broke  and  fled.  Not  so  their  leader.  Rallying 
a  hundred  or  so  of  his  broken  army,  he  led  them  in 
a  bayonet  charge  against  their  foes.  A  volley  deci- 
mated their  ranks.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away, 
the  young  officer  was  seen  leading  those  who  remained 
to  the  attack.  Another  volley  rang  out,  leaving  him 
only  a  handful  of  men.  But  once  more  the  gallant 
Chinese  gathered  the  little  group  around  him,  and 
dashed  at  the  invaders.  When  the  smoke  of  a  third 
volley  cleared  away  there  were  none  left  to  charge. 
The  brave  young  pioneer  of  the  new  China  which  is 
to  be,  had  died  on  the  field  he  was  determined  to  hold. 

The  American  general,  Leatherbottom,  realized 
when  it  was  too  late  that  the  French  had  deceived  him 
by  a  false  attack  on  the  right,  while  their  real  objective 
was  the  weakened  left,  commanded  by  the  young 
Chinese.     He  explained  to  Sinclair  afterwards, 

'*  Thet's  whar  these  'ar  Europeans  get  the  start  on 
me.  When  it  comes  t'  fightin',  I  kin  fight.  Don't  yew 
make  enny  mistake  about  thet.  But  when  it's  a  ques- 
tion of  military  evolyewtions  an'  tictacs,  thet's  whar 
they've  got  me  beat  by  a  mile." 

And  certain  it  was  that  when  the  Chinese  left  posi- 
tion was  captured,  and  the  right  was  forced  to  retreat, 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LEGION        309 

the  French  were  kept  from  coming  to  close  quarters 
by  the  deadly  shooting  of  one  rifle  in  the  Chinese  rear- 
guard. And  that  rifle  was  in  the  hands  of  the  general 
of  the  retreating  force,  the  long,  slab-sided  Vermonter, 
Silas  Z.  Leatherbottom. 

Meanwhile  Dr.  Sinclair,  realizing  that  the  day  was 
lost  to  the  Chinese,  was  forwarding  the  wounded  with 
all  possible  speed,  down  into  the  valley  towards  a 
place  of  safety.  As  the  Chinese  left  was  broken,  he 
had  come  down  with  a  long  line  of  stretchers,  bearing 
wounded  who  had  been  picked  up  under  fire. 

As  he  descended  to  the  level  of  the  ravine  which 
encircled  the  mountain,  he  saw  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  him  a  squad  of  the  Foreign  Legion,  hurrying  along 
the  ravine*  either  seeking  an  easier  ascent  to  the  field 
of  battle,  or  making  an  attempt  to  cut  off  the  Chinese 
retreat. 

Suddenly  out  of  a  dense  grove  of  bamboos  on  the 
hill-side  spirted  streams  of  flame  and  smoke.  The 
stout,  fair-complexioned  sub-lieutenant  who  was  lead- 
ing them,  threw  up  his  arms,  staggered,  caught  the 
trunk  of  a  tree-fern  which  saved  him  from  falling. 

"  Mein  Gott  im  Himmel!''  he  screamed.  ''  Je  siiis 
tue!    En  avant,  mes  camarades!    Vorwdrts!  " 

They  were  his  last  words.  But  they  were  typical 
of  the  character  of  the  Legion. 

A  sergeant  of  almost  gigantic  size  sprang  forward. 

"  Vers  la  gauche! "  he  shouted.  *'  Charges  a  la 
hdionnette!    En  avanti " 

"  Good  for  you,  sergeant !  "  yelled  an  exile  of  Ire- 
land fighting  under  a  foreign  flag.  "  Give  the  yellow 
divils  a  taste  of  the  steel.    Hurroosh !  " 

They  dashed  at  the  bamboos.  But  the  withering 
fire  cut  them  down.     Not  a  man  reached  the  ambus- 


310  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

cade  but  the  big  sergeant.  A  bullet  hit  him.  He  fell; 
rose  to  his  feet,  and  made  a  couple  of  paces  forward. 
Another  hit  him  on  the  leg.  He  raised  himself  on  a 
foot  and  a  knee.  A  heavy  stone  thrown  at  a  few  yards 
struck  him  on  the  head.  He  went  down  silent  and 
motionless. 

With  wild  screams  the  Chinese  irregulars  burst 
from  their  cover,  brandishing  long  knives  and  racing 
with  each  other  to  be  first  to  reach  their  victims.  It 
was  not  merely  their  lust  for  blood  which  clamoured 
to  be  satisfied.  Still  more  was  it  their  lust  for  gain. 
There  was  a  price  set  upon  French  heads. 

Anticipating  the  result,  and  knowing  what  would 
follow,  Sinclair  dashed  down  the  steep,  grass-covered 
side  of  the  ravine  at  the  top  of  his  speed. 

"  Wait  a  little !  "  he  yelled  in  his  imperfect  Chinese. 
"Stop  that!" 

But  the  irregulars  were  Hakka  tribesmen  from  the 
savage  border,  speaking  a  different  language  from  that 
he  was  learning.  They  probably  did  not  understand 
him.  If  they  did,  they  were  not  to  be  baulked  of  their 
rewards  by  the  orders  of  the  foreign  doctor. 

Already  the  bloody  knives  were  at  work.  Several 
were  quarrelling  over  the  body  of  the  lieutenant,  for 
there  was  a  higher  price  for  the  head  of  an  of^cer. 
Two  or  three  had  thrown  themselves  upon  the  ser- 
geant. This  was  the  nearest  body  to  Sinclair.  One 
of  the  knives  was  lifted.  At  a  dozen  paces  Sinclair's 
big  revolver  spoke.  The  Chinese  flung  backwards 
down  the  slope,  throwing  his  glittering  knife  high  in 
the  air. 

That  was  a  language  they  all  could  understand. 
For  a  moment  they  seemed  disposed  to  resist.  But 
the  big  foreign  doctor  was  already  among  them,  his 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LEGION        311 

revolver  barking  with  the  rapidity  of  a  machine  gun, 
and  at  every  spirt  of  flame  a  man  went  down.  Behind 
him  came  a  number  of  well-armed  regulars,  who  had 
been  detailed  to  convoy  the  ambulances.  The  irregu- 
lars broke  and  fled.  But  they  carried  away  with  them 
the  head  of  every  man  of  that  little  squad  save  the 
sergeant. 

The  broken  leg  with  its  great  gaping  wound  was 
hastily  bandaged  and  supported  by  splints.  The  torn 
shoulder  and  the  cut  head  had  the  blood  staunched. 
Then  the  unconscious  man  was  placed  on  a  stretcher 
and  borne  to  camp  to  be  cared  for  in  the  same  hospital 
as  the  Chinese  wounded. 

As  the  line  of  stretchers  moved  down  the  ravine, 
the  tri-colour  could  be  seen  floating  over  the  crest  of 
the  mountain  where  the  battle  had  been  fought,  and 
the  French  bugles  could  be  heard  sounding  "'  au 
drapeau." 


XXXV 

THE  LANGUAGE  OF  PARADISE 

THE  war  was  practically  over.  The  Chinese 
could  not  dislodge  the  French  from  Keelung. 
The  French  could  not  advance  any  farther  into 
the  country. 

What  had  they  gained  for  all  their  expenditure  of 
blood  and  effort?  They  had  not  been  able  to  make 
themselves  masters  of  a  single  foot  of  ground  at 
Tamsui.  At  Keelung  they  held  the  ruined  town  and 
the  harbour,  and  some  outposts  two  miles  from  where 
their  warships  lay.  Beyond  the  range  of  their  naval 
guns  they  could  not  go.  For  such  barren  results,  all 
of  which  in  three  months'  time  they  were  to  relinquish 
again,  they  had  sacrificed  fully  one  thousand  lives  of 
French  soldiers  and  sailors,  had  disabled  hundreds 
more  through  wounds  and  disease,  and  had  killed  an 
unknown  number  of  Chinese,  none  of  whom  knew 
what  the  war  was  about. 

It  dragged  on  for  another  month  and  a  half  before 
the  blockade  was  raised  and  hostilities  ceased.  Six 
weeks  elapsed  after  that  before  Keelung  was  evacu- 
ated, and  the  French  squadron  and  transports  sailed 
away,  leaving  their  silent  city  of  the  dead,  their  tale 
of  killed  and  wounded  and  missing. 

Through  the  month  of  March  and>.  half  of  April, 
Sinclair  laboured  on  among  the  wounded  of  the  Chi- 
nese army.    He  was  their  Life-Healer.    By  one  of  the 

312 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  PARADISE        313 

strange  ironies  of  life  two  of  those  Hakka  tribesmen 
who  had  gone  down  before  his  revolver  on  the  seventh 
of  March,  were  brought  to  him  for  treatment,  and  he 
healed  them.  They  looked  with  wonder,  not  unmixed 
with  fear,  at  the  big  fair-haired  foreigner,  who  had 
been  so  ferocious  a  day  or  two  before.  Now  his 
touch  was  as  gentle  as  it  before  had  been  terrible,  and 
in  his  very  word  was  healing.  They  did  not  under- 
stand. It  was  a  part  of  the  foreign  devil's  madness. 
It  was  a  part  of  his  magic. 

But  there  was  one  over  whom  Sinclair  spent  more 
time  than  over  any  other.  It  was  the  big  sergeant  of 
the  Foreign  Legion.  He  was  desperately  wounded, 
and  for  a  long  time  lay  silently  unconscious.  From 
that  stage  he  passed  into  one  of  delirium.  Then  he 
raved,  sometimes  in  French,  sometimes  in  German, 
sometimes  in  English,  sometimes  in  a  jumble  of  lan- 
guages like  the  Babel  of  tongues  in  the  famous  corps 
to  which  he  belonged.  But  there  was  one  language 
which  he  used  more  than  all  the  others,  and  when  he 
used  it,  his  voice  was  soft  and  his  accents  tender,  like 
those  of  a  child  talking  to  his  mother,  or  of  a  lover  to 
his  beloved.  That  language  Sinclair  did  not  under- 
stand. 

Day  after  day,  night  after  night,  he  sat  by  the 
wounded  man's  bed  in  the  tent  where  he  and  Gorman 
had  their  quarters.  Every  moment  he  could  get  off 
duty  among  the  Chinese  he  was  at  his  post.  There 
was  something  about  this  French  sergeant  which 
attracted  him  strangely.  He  was  big  and  dark,  with 
jet  black  hair  and  large,  dark  eyes.  When  he  was 
wounded  his  face,  save  where  it  was  covered  by  thick, 
black,  stubbly  whiskers,  was  tanned  to  a  dark  brown. 
But  as  the  days  and  weeks  of  illness  passed  by,  the 


314.  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

sunburn  faded  from  his  face,  and  left  his  skin  clear, 
almost  to  transparency.  Then  Gorman  shaved  him, 
"  to  make  the  poor  craythur  a  little  more  comfortable 
loike."  The  fineness  of  the  features  at  once  struck 
Sinclair.  Was  it  only  fancy,  or  was  it  a  fact  that  he 
had  somewhere  seen  some  one  who  resembled  this 
man?  He  racked  his  brain  to  recall  who  it  was,  or 
where  he  had  seen  that  expression  and  form  of  face. 

*'  I  can't  think.  But  I  know  that  I  have  seen  that 
face  or  its  counterpart  somewhere." 

The  big  dark  eyes  of  the  patient  opened,  and  began 
to  wander  over  every  object  in  the  tent.  Then  the 
wounded  man  began  to  talk.  It  was  in  the  language 
Sinclair  did  not  understand. 

**  I  wonder  would  Gorman  know  anything  of  that," 
he  said  to  himself.  "  He  has  a  little  bit  of  each  of 
a  score  of  tongues." 

A  native  boy  ran  for  the  sergeant.  He  came  quickly. 
The  wounded  soldier  was  silent  when  he  entered, 
and  Sinclair  was  afraid  that  he  would  not  speak  again. 
Presently  his  eyes  began  to  rove  around.  Then  he 
spoke  in  a  low,  soft  voice,  words  of  the  unknown 
tongue.  For  a  few  moments  Gorman  stood  silent  with 
a  puzzled  look  on  his  face,  as  if  unable  to  get  the  sense 
of  what  was  being  said.  Then  with  a  sudden  start  he 
lifted  his  hands  above  his  head. 

"  Be  all  the  saints  in  glory,  docther,  do  you  not 
know  that?  It's  what  you'll  have  to  speak  whin  you 
get  to  hiven.  It's  Gaelic.  Not  Irish,  but  Scotch! 
The  man's  a  Highlander.  .  .  .  He's  jist  a  bit  of  a 
gossoon  ag'in,  wid  his  mother  croonin'  over  him  and 
puttin'  him  to  sleep,  an'  him  not  wantin'  to  go.  Och, 
the  poor  bhoy !  The  poor  bhoy !  An'  the  divils  had 
nearly  cut  off  his  head ! " 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  PARADISE        315 

Sinclair  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  face  as  pale  as  death, 
his  whole  frame  trembling  with  excitement. 

"  Gorman,"  he  said,  with  the  slow  emphasis  of 
absolute  conviction,  ''  it's  Miss  MacAllister's  brother." 

"  Be  the  love  of  God,  docther,  I  believe  that  you  are 
right." 

"  I  know  that  I'm  right,  Gorman.  It's  Allister 
MacAllister.  I  was  trying  to  place  his  resemblance 
to  some  one  I  knew.  Now  I  know  what  that  resem- 
blance is.  It  is  neither  to  Miss  MacAllister  nor  her 
mother.  It  is  something  between  the  two.  He  has 
his  mother's  colour  of  hair  and  eyes,  and  form  of 
face,  with  his  sister's  expression." 

'*  Right  you  are,  docther.  An',  docther,  he  mustn't 
die." 

"  He  must  live,  if  human  power  can  save  him,  and 
God's  mercy  will  spare  him,"  was  the  solemn  reply. 

Half-an-hour  later  a  speedy  runner  left  for  Tamsui, 
bearing  a  letter  to  Drs.  Bergmann  and  Black,  with  an 
account  of  the  case  of  the  wounded  Frenchman,  a 
request  for  needed  medicines,  and  the  hope  that  one 
of  them  might  be  able  to  come  over  to  the  camp  before 
Keelung  for  a  consultation. 

They  both  came.  They  held  a  consultation,  spoke 
many  kind  words  of  what  Sinclair  had  accomplished, 
and  returned  to  Tamsui  to  tell  of  the  most  wonderful 
work  they  had  ever  seen  accomplished  by  one  doctor 
against  such  obstacles. 

The  day  after  they  left,  Sinclair  sat  by  his  patient 
in  the  tent  by  the  river  side.  The  spring  sun  was 
shining  gloriously,  drawing  up  the  moisture  from  the 
saturated  earth.  The  rippling  of  the  river,  the  scent 
of  the  flowers,  the  song  of  the  birds  floated  into  the 
tent  where  the  sick  man  lay.    Sinclair  had  been  looking 


316  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

out  on  the  flowing  water.  Something  drew  his  gaze 
towards  the  patient's  cot.  The  large  dark  eyes  were 
fixed  on  him,  no  longer  wandering  and  restless,  but 
intelligent,  full  of  questioning  and  wonder. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  "  he  asked  in  French. 

"  With  friends,"  was  the  reply  in  the  same  language. 

"How  did  I  get  here?" 

"  You  were  wounded,  sergeant." 

The  last  word  seemed  to  help  his  memory. 

"  I  remember.  We  had  taken  the  fort  on  the  Table, 
and  were  trying  to  capture  Fort  Bamboo,  on  the  South 
Mountain." 

"  Yes,  that's  it." 

'*  Did  we  capture  it?" 

"  Yes." 

"  But  some  of  us  ran  into  an  ambuscade  in  the 
bamboos." 

''  Yes,  and  you  were  wounded.  I've  been  trying  to 
fix  you  up  again." 

"  Are  you  a  doctor?" 

"  Yes." 

"  You  are  not  one  of  the  doctors  of  the  Legion.  I 
do  not  remember  you.  Do  you  belong  to  the  Zephyrs 
or  rinfanterie  de  Marine?" 

"  To  neither.  I  am  a  volunteer  doctor.  But  you 
have  talked  enough.  I  do  not  want  you  to  tire  your- 
self.   I  want  you  to  get  better.    You  must  go  to  sleep." 

That  afternoon  General  Liu  Ming-chuan  visited  the 
hospital  to  personally  announce  that  an  armistice  was 
likely  to  be  arranged,  to  thank  Dr.  Sinclair  for  his 
invaluable  services,  and  to  tell  him  that  both  he  and 
Sergeant  Gorman  were  recommended  for  various  but- 
tons and  rings  of  jade,  daggers,  and  feathers  of 
honour. 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  PARADISE    3,17 

"  Now,"  he  concluded,  "  is  there  any  request  with 
which  the  honourable  physician  will  deign  to 
honour  me,  that  I  may  have  the  pleasure  of  grant- 
ing it?" 

"  There  is,  Your  Excellency,"  replied  Sinclair. 

"  Will  the  honourable  physician  name  it  ?  " 

"  That  Your  Excellency  will  graciously  condescend 
to  grant  that  the  wounded  French  prisoner  be  handed 
over  to  me,  that  I  may  restore  him  to  his  aged  father, 
of  whom  he  is  the  only  son." 

"  The  honourable  physician's  request  is  granted ; 
and  may  the  young  man  comfort  the  heart  of  his 
father,  and  do  honour  to  his  ancestors." 

A  week  later  Sinclair  and  Gorman  left  the  Chinese 
camp  for  Tamsui,  carrying  with  them  in  a  specially 
constructed  litter  the  man  whom  they  were  convinced 
was  the  long-lost  son  and  brother. 

Of  their  suspicions  concerning  him,  the  wounded 
man  knew  nothing.  He  indeed  knew  where  he  was 
and  how  he  came  to  be  there.  He  knew  that  he  had 
been  a  prisoner  in  the  Chinese  camp.  He  knew  that 
he  had  been  cared  for  and  his  life  saved  by  a  Canadian 
missionary  doctor  and  an  Irish  sergeant.  He  knew 
that  instead  of  leaving  him  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese, 
they  were  taking  him  to  the  foreign  settlement  at 
Tamsui,  until  he  should  be  strong  enough  to  rejoin 
his  regiment.  But  for  any  hint  they  gave  or  aught  he 
suspected,  he  was  nothing  to  them  but  Sergeant  Alfred 
Melnotte,  of  the  3d  Company,  4th  Battalion  of  the 
Foreign  Legion,  reported  by  his  company  commander 
as  "  dispariij^  missing. 

When  he  reached  Tamsui  and  was  installed  in  a 
large,  airy  room  in  Dr.  MacKay's  house,  where  the 
soft  April  winds  blew  in,  where  he  lay  and  luxuriated 


318  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

in  a  great  white  bed,  with  its  canopy  of  mosquito 
curtains,  such  luxury  as  he  had  not  known  for  years, 
he  wondered  at  the  kindness  of  these  strangers.  But 
to  them  as  to  all  the  other  residents  of  Tamsui,  he 
was  just  "  the  French  sergeant,  Sergeant  Melnotte." 


XXXVI 
AN  APPARITION 

IN  Hong-Kong  the  winter  had  passed  in  such  a 
round  of  gaieties  as  the  colony  could  afford. 
There  were  balls  and  dinner  parties,  state  and 
private,  afloat  and  ashore.  There  were  cricket  matches 
and  military  reviews  in  the  city.  There  were  races 
and  golf,  and  more  cricket  matches  and  picnics  at 
Happy  Valley.  A  company  of  players  of  more  or  less 
excellence,  going  from  Australia  to  England  or 
America,  from  time  to  time  came  by  way  of  Hong- 
Kong,  and  perhaps  for  a  week  drew  astonishingly 
large  houses,  considering  the  smallness  of  the  Euro- 
pean population.  There  were  excursions  to  Macao, 
and  trips  to  Canton. 

Mrs.  MacAllister  entered  with  the  utmost  zest  into 
the  social  life  of  the  great  southern  city.  Although 
never  at  ease  in  society,  always  revealing  to  the  prac- 
tised eye  that  she  had  not  been  accustomed  to  it  in  her 
youth,  the  continual  attendance  at  all  manner  of  func- 
tions, the  association  with  people  supposed  to  be  of 
social  standing,  had  become  her  ideal  of  happiness. 
In  the  sumptuous  apartments  her  husband  had  taken 
in  the  hotel,  she  entertained  lavishly.  Her  wealth 
covered  all  defects  of  education  and  training.  Per- 
haps the  majority  of  those  she  met  in  the  social  life 
of  the  colony  were  not  so  much  better  bred  than  her- 
self.    And  those  who  were,  accepted  her  bountiful 

319 


320  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

hospitality,  and  did  not  laugh  at  her  till  her  back  was 
turned. 

Then  she  had  far  more  compensating  circumstances 
than  most  who  have  to  depend  on  their  wealth  for 
admission  into  society.  Her  husband  was  keenly  intel- 
ligent, well-informed,  and  perfectly  at  home  anywhere. 
Her  daughter  was  strikingly  beautiful  and  accom- 
plished. The  accepted  suitor  for  that  daughter's  hand 
was  an  earl.  How  could  any  colony  be  expected  to 
resist  such  a  combination  as  that  ?  Hong-Kong  simply 
surrendered  at  discretion. 

It  is  true  that  Mr.  MacAllister  grew  very  weary  of 
the  inanities  of  the  social  round.  He  was  becoming 
more  and  more  anxious  about  his  ill-success  in  getting 
any  trace  of  his  son.  It  is  true  also  that  many  noted 
the  fact  that  Miss  MacAllister  seemed  to  be  very 
indifferent  towards  her  titled  suitor.  But,  as  she  once 
in  confidence  explained  to  McLeod,  his  acceptance  by 
her  mother  saved  her  from  being  bored  by  any  other 
of  the  aspiring  young  men  she  met. 

Carteret  had  been  in  Hong-Kong  on  several 
occasions  before  and  had  been  almost  entirely  ignored 
by  colonial  society.  But  society  is  not  to  be  blamed 
for  that.  A  younger  son,  on  a  small  remittance,  is  a 
very  different  proposition,  even  if  the  heir  has  only 
one  lung,  from  a  real  live  earl,  with  the  full  income  of 
his  estates  at  his  disposal.  Society  has  a  keen  appreci- 
ation of  the  fitness  of  things.  It  regards  not  what 
a  man  is,  but  what  he  has. 

Thus  the  winter  passed  away.  But  it  was  not  with- 
out other  incident.  One  day  in  January  two  young 
men  were  talking  in  the  rotunda  of  the  hotel.  They 
were  both  officers  of  an  English  regiment  then  form- 
ing part  of  the  garrison.    One  had  just  returned  from 


AN  APPARITION  321 

leave,  having  arrived  by  the  P.  and  O.  Hner  the  day 
before.  The  other  had  been  in  the  city  with  his  regi- 
ment. 

"By  Jove,  Powell,"  said  the  former,  "  I  got  the 
biggest  fright  of  my  life  yesterday." 

"  How's  that?  "  said  the  other.  ''  Didn't  know  that 
you  ever  got  frightened." 

"  Well,  I'll  acknowledge  that  I'm  not  strong  on 
getting  scared,  unless  there's  a  woman  in  the  case. 
Then  I  run  every  time." 

"  Perhaps !  But  that  has  not  enlightened  me  as  to 
what  gave  you  the  fright  yesterday." 

'*  It  was  this  way.  When  we  came  to  anchor  we 
found  ourselves  right  alongside  of  the  French  trans- 
port Canton,  with  troops  for  Formosa.  She  had  a  bat- 
talion of  the  Legion  £trangere.  I  had  heard  of  them 
at  Singapore,  and  knew  that  there  was  an  old  school- 
mate of  mine  on  board — Du  Marais,  captain  com- 
manding the  first  company.  We  chummed  together 
when  I  was  studying  French  and  drill  at  Saint  Cyr. 
So  before  coming  ashore  I  went  aboard  the  Canton 
to  look  him  up.  Du  Marais  was  there  all  right,  brown, 
black  rather,  but  fit  as  a  fiddle  after  campaigns  in 
Algiers.  But  it  wasn't  Du  Marais  who  gave  me  the 
scare." 

"What  was  it?" 

"  You  remember  MacAllister  of  the  — th  Dragoon 
Guards?" 

"  Who  shot  Standish  after  Tel-el-Kebir  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Of  course  I  do.  His  father  and  mother  and  sis- 
ter are  in  Hong-Kong  now." 

"  Well,  I  could  swear  that  he  was  on  board  the 
Canton  in  Hong-Kong  Harbour  yesterday." 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

*'  But  he  was  reported  killed  by  Arabs  on  his  way 
to  Alexandria." 

"  I  know.  And  that  is  what  gave  me  the  fright.  As 
I  was  talking  to  Du  Marais  a  big  sergeant  passed  and, 
by  the  Lord,  if  Allister  MacAllister  is  living  that  ser- 
geant was  he!  If  he's  dead  that  was  his  ghost.  Du 
Marais  noticed  me  start  and  asked  what  was  the  mat- 
ter. I  told  him.  He  said  that  the  sergeant  was  not 
of  his  company  and  he  did  not  know  him,  but  that 
he  would  inquire.  He  came  back  in  a  little  and  said : 
*  You  must  be  mistaken.  That  was  Sergeant  Mel- 
notte  of  Lebigot's  company.  He  is  a  Frenchman  from 
Besan^on.'  But  I  was  convinced  that  it  was  MacAllis- 
ter or  his  ghost." 

The  two  young  officers  strolled  away.  They  did 
not  notice  a  man  sitting  under  a  spreading  tropical 
plant  and  hidden  still  more  by  the  home  newspaper 
he  was  reading.  If  they  had  noticed,  they  would 
have  seen  that  the  newspaper  trembled  like  an  aspen 
leaf  in  the  palsied  hands  which  held  it.  When  they 
were  gone,  Mr.  MacAllister  rose  from  behind  the 
plant.  His  face  was  pale  as  ashes,  but  his  move- 
ments were  quick  and  decided.  He  hurried  to  the 
harbour-master's  office  to  ask  about  the  Can- 
ton. She  had  sailed  for  Formosa  the  evening 
before. 

He  returned  to  the  hotel  to  write  letters  to  Consul 
Beauchamp,  to  Commander  Gardenier,  to  Dr.  Sin- 
clair. Under  the  stringent  rules  of  the  blockade,  those 
letters  did  not  reach  their  destinations  till  their  use- 
fulness was  past.  He  set  himself  to  devise  means 
to  effect  his  own  return  to  Formosa.  It  was  not  until 
April  that  it  could  be  accomplished.  Meanwhile  he 
told  neither  his  wife  nor  his  daughter,  lest  their  hopes 


AN  APPARITION  32S 

should  be  disappointed,  and  the  disappointment  should 
be  more  than  they  could  bear. 

On  the  fourth  of  April  the  protocol  was  signed  by 
the  representatives  of  France  and  China.  As  soon 
as  the  news  reached  Hong-Kong  the  Hailoong  sailed 
for  Tamsui.  She  had  on  board  two  white  passengers 
for  that  port,  Dr.  MacKay  and  Mr.  MacAllister. 

The  forces  of  nature  and  of  man  seemed  deter- 
mined to  prevent  her  reaching  there.  When  near  her 
destination  a  terrific  storm  forced  her  to  run  back 
to  the  coast  of  China  for  shelter,  as  she  had  been 
compelled  to  do  the  previous  August.  When  she  again 
appeared  off  Tamsui  a  shot  across  her  bows  brought 
her  to.  The  French  commander  had  not  heard  that 
the  blockade  had  been  raised.  Once  more  she  had 
to  put  about  and  steam  for  the  Pescadores  to  get 
authority  from  Admiral  Courbet  himself.  From  the 
Pescadores  to  Amoy,  and  again  to  Tamsui,  she  car- 
ried her  impatient  passengers  before  they  were  allowed 
to  land. 


XXXVII 
"  MY  SON !  MY  SON !  " 

THE  day  the  Hailoong  first  appeared  off  the 
harbour  of  Tamsui  was  one  of  deep  anxiety  to 
Sinclair.  While  the  other  foreign  residents 
were  almost  delirious  with  joy  at  the  prospect  of  the 
removal  of  the  blockade,  he  was  disturbed  and  anxious. 
He  did  not  know  who  might  be  on  board  that  boat. 
He  had  a  presentiment  so  fixed  that  he  could  not 
shake  himself  free  from  it,  that  Mr.  MacAllister  was 
coming  back  again. 

He  dreaded  the  effect  on  his  patient  of  the  meet- 
ing between  father  and  son.  The  wounded  man  was 
still  weak.  The  doctor  had  not  even  hinted  to  him 
that  he  was  known.  Indeed,  he  had  no  absolute  proof 
that  this  was  Allister  MacAllister.  Yet  he  was  con- 
vinced that  this  was  he.  He  felt  that  he  ought  to  tell 
him  that  he  was  known,  and  that  his  father  was  com- 
ing. Deep  as  was  his  own  disappointment  at  the  still 
further  delay  of  word  from  Hong-Kong,  it  was  never- 
theless with  a  feeling  akin  to  relief  that  he  saw  the 
Hailoong  forced  to  steam  away  without  entering  port. 
He  resolved  that  his  patient  must  be  prepared  for  her 
return. 

The  two  young  men  had  grown  deeply  attached  to 
each  other.  It  was  not  strange.  Sinclair  had  good 
reason  to  like  the  man  he  believed  to  be  Jessie  Mac- 
Allister's  brother.  Sergeant  Mclnotte  had  good  rea- 
son to  be  grateful  to  the  man  who  had  saved  his  life. 

821 


"MY  SON!  MY  SON!"  325 

But  there  was  a  deeper  reason.  It  was  the  in- 
stinctive attraction  of  mutually  complementary  char- 
acters. Sinclair's  invincible  good-humour  and  cheer- 
fulness were  as  life-giving  sunshine  to  the  wounded 
soldier,  worn  by  hardship  and  suffering.  Melnotte's 
patient,  uncomplaining  endurance  of  intense  pain, 
his  quiet  but  profound  gratitude,  appealed  to  Sinclair's 
admiration  for  all  that  was  heroic  and  manly.  The 
large,  dark  eyes  followed  his  every  movement  with  a 
look  of  devotion  and  thankfulness  which  was  pathetic. 
It  was  the  expression  of  dependence  of  one  who  had 
been  strong,  but  was  now  brought  down  to  the  weak- 
ness of  a  child.  In  this  gratitude  Sinclair  found  his 
opportunity. 

"  Sergeant  Melnotte,"  he  said,  "  you  are  not 
French." 

The  invalid's  face  flushed  a  little,  but  he  answered 
quietly : 

"  What  makes  you  think  so,  doctor  ?  Do  I  not 
speak  French  correctly?" 

"  Oh,  yes !  So  far  as  I  can  see,  you  speak  it  per- 
fectly; much  better  than  I  do.  But  you  are  not 
French." 

**  How  do  you  come  to  that  conclusion  ?  " 

"  When  you  were  delirious  you  spoke  Gaelic." 

'*  Did  I?"  he  asked  quietly,  as  if  holding  himself 
in  hand. 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  you  understand  what  I  said  ?  " 

*'No;  but  Sergeant  Gorman  did." 

The  man  on  the  bed  did  not  reply.  His  face  as- 
sumed a  strained,  hunted  look.  Sinclair  sat  on  the 
edge  of  the  bed  and  laid  his  hand  gently  on  his 
patient's. 


326  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

"  Sergeant  Melnotte,"  he  said  in  a  low,  kind  tone, 
''you  need  be  afraid  of  nothing  from  me.  Are  you 
not  Allister  MacAllister  ?  " 

The  wounded  man's  hand  gripped  Sinclair's.  A 
spasm  of  pain  crossed  his  face.  He  closed  his  eyes 
and  lay  for  a  few  moments  very  still.  Then,  with- 
out opening  his  eyes,  he  said  in  English : 

"  What  do  you  know  about  Allister  MacAllister?  " 

"  I  know  his  father,  his  mother,  and  his  sister.  I 
know  that  they  are  searching  the  world  for  him.  I 
know  that  he  disappeared  and  left  no  trace  behind 
him,  because  he  thought  he  had  killed  a  man."  The 
great,  dark  eyes  were  open  now  and  looking  in  unbe- 
lieving wonder  into  Sinclair's  frank,  kindly  blue  ones. 
"  But  he  didn't  kill  him." 

'*  Dr.  Sinclair,  do  you  mean  to  say  that  Captain 
Philip   Standish  did  not  die?" 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  mean.  He  is  alive  and  well, 
and  has  been  helping  your  father  to  search  for  you." 

"  Thank  God !    Oh,  thank  God !  " 

He  covered  his  face  with  his  hands.  His  lips  moved 
as  if  in  prayer.  Sinclair  did  not  stir,  nor  utter  a 
word  to  disturb  his  thoughts  and  thankfulness.  At 
length  he  uncovered  his  face  and  looked  up. 

'*  Dr.  Sinclair,"  he  said  in  a  voice  scarcely  above  a 
whisper,  ''where  did  you  meet  my  people?" 

"Here  in  Tamsui.  .  .  .  No,"  he  continued,  in 
answer  to  the  eager,  startled  look,  "  they  are  not  here 
now.  But  they  are  not  far  away.  They  are  in  Hong- 
Kong." 

Four  days  later  the  Hailoong  was  again  seen  stand- 
ing in  towards  the  harbour.  After  a  very  brief  delay 
the  French  allowed  her  to  proceed. 


"  MY  SON !  MY  SON !  "  32T 

The  whole  foreign  population  except  Sergeant  Gor- 
man and  the  patient,  whom  he  remained  to  care  for, 
were  down  at  the  dock.  The  native  Christians  were 
there  in  a  body  in  the  hopes  that  Dr.  MacKay  might 
be  on  board. 

As  the  first  boat  with  the  first  news  from  abroad 
for  exactly  six  months  zigzagged  through  the  field 
of  mines  and  obstructions  with  which  the  mouth  of 
the  harbour  was  blocked,  every  glass  was  focussed 
upon  her. 

'*  It's  McLeod  who  is  bringing  her  in,"  said  Boville, 
who  was  using  the  long  customs  telescope.  "  White- 
ley  is  not  on  the  bridge.  He  is  on  deck  with  two 
passengers." 

"  That's  MacKay  next  to  him,"  said  the  consul. 
"  I  can  tell  him  by  his  size  and  the  long  black  whis- 
kers against  his  white  clothes." 

"Who's  the  big  man  on  MacKay's  left?"  asked 
Sinclair,  who  wanted  some  one  to  confirm  his  own 
impressions. 

''  It  looks  like  MacAllister,"  replied  Boville.  "  Yes, 
it  is  MacAllister.  I  can  see  him  plainly  now  that  she 
has  swung  to  starboard.  I  wonder  what  is  bringing 
him  back  to  Formosa." 

*'  Lord,  what  shall  I  do  to  entertain  him  ?  .  .  .  I 
haven't  a  thing  to  eat  fit  to  offer  a  white  man.  .  .  . 
'Pon  my  soul,  I  haven't !  "  spluttered  De  Vaux. 

Sinclair  and  the  consul  glanced  at  each  other  un- 
derstandingly,  and  the  latter  said: 

'*  Make  your  mind  easy  about  that,  De  Vaux.  With 
your  permission  I  shall  be  glad  to  entertain  Mr.  Mac- 
Allister. I  have  a  little  foreign  chow  left.  My  wife 
will  probably  have  sent  some  more  by  this  boat." 

With  tears  of  joy,  shrill  cries  of  welcome,  and  ex- 


328  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

clamations  of  thankfulness  the  natives  received  their 
pastor. 

No  less  gladly,  but  hiding  their  feelings  under  jest 
and  laughter,  the  Britons  welcomed  their  countrymen. 
In  the  midst  of  the  handshaking  Beauchamp  said: 

"  Mr.  MacAllister,  you  will  be  my  guest  this  time. 
Come  away  up  to  the  consulate." 

With  a  brief  word  or  two  in  an  undertone  to  Sin- 
clair, the  consul  led  his  guest  away.  After  a  cheery 
laugh  and  an  exchange  of  banter  with  McLeod,  the 
doctor  climbed  the  steep  hill  with  MacKay  and  his 
converts  to  the  former's  house. 

Twenty  minutes  later  he  looked  from  the  verandah 
and  saw  the  consul  and  Mr.  MacAllister  coming.  The 
latter's  face  was  pale  as  death.  He  was  stooping 
forward  and  trembling  as  if  with  palsy.  But  he  was 
covering  the  ground  with  such  strides  that  the  consul, 
in  spite  of  his  agility,  was  almost  running  to  keep 
pace  with  him.  As  he  drew  near  the  verandah  the 
father  broke  into  a  run,  and  his  trembling  hands 
caught  Sinclair's: 

''  May  I  see  him,  doctor?    May  I  see  him?  " 

"  Yes.     He's  expecting  you." 

"  God  bless  you,  Dr.  Sinclair !     God  bless  you ! " 

As  the  door  of  the  room  swung  open  the  man  on 
the  bed  raised  himself  on  his  elbow  and  uttered  one 
word  in  Gaelic: 

"Athair!"  (Father). 

"  My  son !    My  son,  Allister !    My  son !    My  son !  " 

The  father  was  on  his  knees  beside  the  bed,  holding 
the  great  worn  frame  of  his  boy  in  his  arms.  The 
son's  arms  were  around  the  father's  neck.  They  were 
kissing  each  other,  were  crooning  to  each  other  in  the 
Gaelic.     All  the  passion  and  the  tenderness  of  the 


"  MY  SON !  MY  SON !  "  329 

Celtic  nature  was  being  poured  forth,  unrestrained. 
The  love  of  this  man  of  business  and  his  soldier  son 
was  like  the  love  of  a  man  for  a  woman,  and  of  a 
woman  for  a  man. 

Half  an  hour  later  Sinclair  and  MacKay  gently 
opened  the  door.  They  were  anxious  about  the 
strength  of  the  wounded  man.  The  father  was  still 
on  his  knees  by  the  bed.  The  son's  arms  were  still 
around  his  neck.  The  father's  voice  was  being  lifted 
up  to  God  in  prayer,  still  in  the  language  of  his  native 
hills.  It  was  not  a  prayer  of  petition,  but  of  thank- 
fulness.    And  the  words  they  heard  were  these: 

"  '  For  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again. 
He  was  lost  and  is  found.' " 


XXXVIII 

REJECTED 

MAcKAY  and  Sinclair  were  sitting  in  the  for- 
mer's study.  It  was  the  first  moment  they 
had  found  in  which  to  discuss  their  own 
plans  and  prospects. 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,"  said  MacKay,  "  you  remember  my 
prophecy  about  the  way  the  Church  at  home  would 
treat  me,  because  I  ordained  those  two  native 
preachers." 

"  Yes,  I  remember." 

"  Read  that." 

He  handed  Sinclair  a  letter.  It  was  from  an  old 
official  of  the  Church.  In  dry,  formal  words  he  re- 
counted the  misdemeanours  and  errors  of  which  Mac- 
Kay  was  guilty  in  that  "  you  did  arrogate  unto  your- 
self and  usurp  the  functions  of  a  Presbytery,  and  did, 
by  the  laying  on  of  your  hands,  without  the  presence 
and  without  the  authority  of  a  Presbytery,  ordain  or 
pretend  to  ordain  to  the  office  of  the  holy  ministry 
two  native  preachers :  to  wit.  one  A  Hoa  and  one 
Tan  He." 

After  having  recounted  the  pains  and  penalties 
which  the  heinous  offence  might  incur,  the  letter 
closed  with  the  consolation  that,  in  view  of  his  past 
services  and  his  zeal  which  had  outrun  his  discre- 
tion, the  General  Assembly  would  be  petitioned  to 
condone  his  offence,  and  it  might  be  pleased  to  grant 
the  prayer  of  the  petition,  on  condition  that  he  would 

330 


REJECTED  331 

promise  that  it  would  never  happen  again.  This 
promise,  it  was  trusted,  would  be  forthcoming  by  re- 
turn mail. 

When  he  finished  reading  Sinclair  sat  in  silence  for 
some  moments,  looking  straight  at  MacKay.  Then 
he  burst  out : 

"  The  old  fossil !  Has  he  no  imagination  ?  Has  he 
no  knowledge  of  conditions  here?  Has  he  no  com- 
mon sense  to  apply  to  an  uncommon  situation?  " 

''  It  looks  like  that,"  replied  MacKay.  ''  But  per- 
haps it  is  not  all  his  fault.  He  has  never  seen 
any  Christian  work  except  that  in  a  congregation 
of  decent  Ontario  farmers,  or  in  a  city  church  com- 
posed of  the  hereditary  good.  He  has  never  been  any 
place  where  cut-and-dried  Presbyterian  rules  could 
not  be  applied  as  easily  as  a  straight  edge  to  a  plane 
surface." 

*'  A  mere  animated  edition  of  Rules  and  Forms  of 
Procedure." 

"  Yes." 

"But  did  you  not  explain  to  him  the  exceptional 
situation,  demanding  exceptional  treatment  ?  " 

**  Yes.    I  explained  it  very  fully." 

"  And  could  the  old  dry-as-dust  not  understand  ? 
Could  he  not  understand  that  at  the  time  you  did 
this  you  were  likely  to  die  within  twelve  hours  ?  Could 
he  not  understand  that,  if  you  had  died  and  you  had 
left  no  one  to  take  the  lead,  all  this  work,  this  Church 
you  have  builded,  was  likely  to  go  to  smash  before 
they  could  get  another  man  capable  of  carrying  it  on? 
Could  he  not  understand  that  ?  " 

"  No,  he  could  not  understand.  And  if  he  could, 
the  total  destruction  of  the  native  Church  would  be 
nothing  as  compared   with   the   calamity  of  having 


332  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

broken  a  rule  framed  for  the  Church  in  Canada,  but 
not  in  China." 

"  A  case  of  man's  being  made  for  the  rules,  and 
not  the  rules  for  man." 

"  Exactly." 

"  I  suppose  he  can't  help  it.  He  has  been  reared 
in  a  groove.  He  lives  in  a  groove.  He  will  die  in 
a  groove.  And  if  he  gets  to  heaven  it  will  be  through 
a  groove  fenced  in  by  rules  and  precedents." 

"  If  you  like  to  put  it  that  way." 

"  But  will  you  submit  to  it  ?  Will  you  promise  to 
be  good  and  not  to  do  this  wicked  thing  any  more  ?  " 

''  Yes." 

"  I  don't  think  I  would." 

"  If  I  didn't,  I'd  be  suspended  and  have  to  give  up 
my  work.  I  would  submit  to  nearly  anything  rather 
than  leave  these  people.  They  are  my  children  in 
the  Lord." 

Sinclair  made  no  reply.  He  was  seeing  more 
deeply  than  ever  into  the  secret  springs  of  the  life 
of  this  stern  prophet  of  North  Formosa.  He  had  not 
wondered  at  his  bearing  hardship,  at  his  facing  dan- 
ger, at  his  seeming  almost  to  court  death.  That  was 
what  was  to  be  expected  of  one  of  his  nature.  But 
when  he  saw  this  fiery  Celt  meekly  submit  to  the 
rebukes  of  small  and  ignorant  men,  in  order  that 
he  might  be  permitted  by  their  ill-grace  to  go  on  with 
his  work,  he  began  to  fathom  the  depth  of  his  love 
for  the  dark-skinned  people  of  his  island  home. 

Presently  MacKay  spoke: 

"  I  have  another  letter  which  touches  you  more 
closely.  It  is  the  reply  to  my  request  that  you  should 
be  appointed  a  medical  missionary.  Do  you  care  to 
read  it?     Here  it  is." 


REJECTED  333 

Sinclair  took  it  and  read.  It  had  evidently  not 
been  written  until  after  the  Church  at  home  had 
received  word  of  MacKay's  recovery  from  his  seri- 
ous illness.  It  opened  with  some  very  conventional 
and  perfunctory  expressions  of  thanksgiving  to  the 
Almighty  for  having  "  spared  the  life  of  His  devoted 
servant  and  restored  him  to  such  a  large  measure  of 
health." 

Then  it  proceeded  to  deal  with  the  application  for 
Sinclair's  appointment  as  a  missionary.  It  was  "  con- 
trary to  the  usage  of  the  Committee  to  appoint  a  man 
who  had  not  put  in  his  application  in  regular  form. 
The  Committee  also  preferred  that  the  candidate  for 
appointment  should  appear  in  person  before  it,  that  its 
members  might  be  satisfied  as  to  his  fitness.  Doubtless 
Dr.  Sinclair  was  all  that  Dr.  MacKay  represented  him 
to  be.  But  the  Committee  felt  that  it  would  be  unwise 
to  rely  on  Dr.  MacKay's  judgment  in  the  matter, 
especially  in  view  of  some  recent  regrettable  occur- 
rences. .   .   . 

"  The  Committee  was  very  particular  that  its  mis- 
sionaries should  be  men  of  deep  spirituality,  spending 
much  time  in  prayer,  characterized  by  meekness  and 
humility,  filled  with  love  for  the  natives,  ready  to 
make  sacrifices  and  endure  hardships  in  order  that  the 
Kingdom  of  God  might  be  established  on  the  earth. 
The  Committee  regretted  that  it  could  not  accept  with- 
out reserve  Dr.  MacKay's  judgment  of  the  candi- 
date's fitness,  especially  in  view  of  recent  events.  .  .  . 
If  Dr.  Sinclair  really  desired  appointment,  he  must 
return  to  Canada  and  appear  in  person  before  the 
Committee.  .  .  ." 


334  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

As  he  proceeded  Sinclair's  face  was  a  study.  When 
he  had  read  a  page  or  more  of  this  epistle  he  stopped, 
glanced  at  MacKay,  then  turned  to  the  last  page,  and 
looked  at  the  signature: 

**  Your  brother  in  the  Lord, 

"  Thadd^us  Cornelius  McGuffin." 

*'  Thaddseus  Cornelius  McGuffin,"  he  repeated. 
"  Who  in  the  world  is  that  ?  I  thought  that  I  knew 
most  of  the  Church  officials  at  home.  But  I  never 
heard  of  him.    Who  is  he?  " 

"  A  young  clerk  who  has  been  appointed  to  help 
the  convener  of  the  Committee.  A  sort  of  office 
assistant." 

"And  does  he  dare  to  write  to  you  like  that?" 

'*  You  see  for  yourself." 

*'  The  gall  of  him !  What  does  he  know  of  the  quali- 
ties needed  in  a  missionary  ?  Has  he  ever  been  in  the 
foreign  field?" 

"  Never  been  nearer  to  it  than  the  suburbs  of 
Toronto." 

"  He  talks  about  sacrifice  and  enduring  hardships. 
What  has  he  sacrificed?  What  hardships  has  he 
borne?" 

"  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge  he  has  never  sacri- 
ficed a  meal  of  victuals  or  a  night's  rest.  But  these 
are  the  men  who  talk  most  glibly  of  self-sacrifice.  As 
for  hardships,  I  think  the  greatest  he  has  ever  known 
has  been  to  ride  down  to  the  office  in  a  Toronto 
street  car." 

"  That's  bad  enough,"  laughed  Sinclair,  whose 
good-humour  was  returning  as  the  absurdity  of  this 
office-hand's  high  and  mighty  attitude  towards  the 


REJECTED  335 

veteran  missionary  grew  upon  him.  "  But  tell  me, 
Dr.  MacKay,"  he  continued,  "  what  would  they  do 
with  me  if  I  did  go  home  and  appear  before  the 
Committee  ?  " 

"  They  would  ask  you  a  number  of  harmless  ques- 
tions about  your  disposition  and  temper,  and  your 
submissiveness  to  authority,  your  religious  experi- 
ence, devotional  practices,  and  habits  of  study — the 
whole  lasting  perhaps  fifteen  minutes." 

"  And  do  they  imagine  that  they  would  learn  more 
of  me  by  that  than  you  could  testify  of  me  after  hav- 
ing seen  me  among  the  natives  for  the  last  nine 
months?" 

*'  Evidently !  Especially  as  my  judgment  is  not  to 
be  trusted  since  some  recent  events." 

"  And  for  that  fifteen-minute  interview  they  would 
expect  me  to  travel  ten  thousand  miles  ?  " 

•■'  Yes." 

"  Then  I'm  not  going.  I  shall  not  submit  myself 
to  the  inquisition  of  Thaddseus  Cornelius  McGufifin." 

*'  I  am  very  glad." 

Sinclair  looked  at  MacKay  with  surprise  and  ques- 
tion in  his  eyes. 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  you  will  not  go.  You  would 
not  be  appointed  if  you  did." 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  Read  the  rest  of  the  letter." 

"  You  tell  me  the  substance  of  it.  Life's  too 
short  to  spend  so  much  time  reading  McGufifin's  effu- 
sions." 

**  Your  sins  have  found  you  out."  MacKay's  face 
showed  a  gleam  of  grim  humour  as  he  spoke.  ''  You 
are  not  spiritual.  You  were  accustomed  to  spend  only 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  in  your  morning  devotions 


3S6  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

instead  of  a  full  hour  as  required  by  McGuffin's  stand- 
ards. You  are  not  meek.  You  once  thrashed  a  rough 
who  insulted  a  lady  on  the  street  instead  of  sweetly 
reasoning  with  him.  Then  you  took  him  to  the  hos- 
pital to  recover  from  the  thrashing.  You  are  not 
sound.  It  is  whispered  that  you  said  that  you  didn't 
think  Moses  wrote  the  account  of  his  own  funeral  in 
the  Book  of  Deuteronomy." 

As  Sinclair  listened  to  this  epitome  of  McGuffin's 
catalogue  of  his  shortcomings  he  went  off  into  peals 
of  laughter,  in  which  MacKay  joined.  The  inner 
nature  of  the  quiet,  reserved  man  had  come  out  in  the 
intimacies  of  a  rare  friendship. 

"Do  they  think  that  I  would  corrupt  the  morals 
of  the  heathen?"  Sinclair  inquired  as  he  recovered 
himself. 

"Apparently.  Perhaps  you  would  batter  your 
heresies  into  them  with  your  fists." 

"  What  would  McGuffin  have  thought  if  he  had 
seen  me  at  Sin-tiam  or  where  the  Hakkas  were  trying 
to  cut  the  head  off  poor  young  MacAllister?  " 

"  He  wouldn't  have  seen  you.  He  would  have 
swooned  away." 

"Well,  I  suppose  it  is  all  of^  with  me  so  far  as 
being  a  missionary  under  my  own  Church  is  con- 
cerned." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  it  is.  I  had  set  my  heart  on  it. 
We  could  have  done  so  much  together.  You  have  won 
the  hearts  of  the  natives  in  a  wonderful  way.  I  could 
have  left  the  medical  work  all  to  you.  You  would 
have  done  great  good.  But  it  is  an  unrealized  dream. 
I  am  disappointed.  But  I  am  not  discouraged.  I  am 
accustomed  to  disappointments.  I  meet  them  often. 
But  discouraged?     Never!" 


REJECTED  337 

Sinclair  gripped  MacKay's  hand  in  his  powerful 
grasp : 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  known  you,  MacKay.  It  has 
done  me  good." 

"  And  I,  you.  But  we'll  say  no  more  of  that.  What 
are  you  going  to  do  ?    Have  you  anything  in  view  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  But  something  will  always  turn  up 
for  a  doctor.  I'll  find  work  somewhere,  where  the 
sins  of  my  past  are  not  known." 

Just  then  there  was  a  whoop  outside.  Then  another 
and  another.  Then  the  sound  of  a  heavy  footfall  in  a 
war-dance  on  the  verandah. 

"  That's  Gorman !  "  exclaimed  Sinclair.  '*  What  is 
the  matter  with  him?" 

He  sprang  to  the  door,  followed  by  McKay. 
There  was  Gorman,  executing  the  wildest  kind  of  a 
dance,  bringing  his  feet  down  with  a  vigour  which 
threatened  to  split  the  tiles  of  the  verandah,  and  all 
the  time  waving  a  letter  over  his  head  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  wild  yells: 

"  Whoop !  Docther !  Hurroosh !  Be  the  blissin' 
of  the  saints !  Whoop !  Me  mother-in-law's  gone  to 
glory.     Hurroosh !  " 

"  Dead ! "  exclaimed  Sinclair.  "  When  did  it 
happen?" 

"Six  weeks  ago,  be  the  blissin'  of  hiven!  Whoop! 
Won't  the  angels  be  havin'  a  divil  of  a  time  wid  her 
now!  Hurroosh!  That's  always  the  way  wid  her. 
The  first  month  she's  p'aceful  as  a  suckin'  Iamb  wid 
its  twinklin'  tail.  Thin  she  cuts  loose,  an'  be  the 
middle  of  the  second  she  bates  Banagher.  She'll  jist 
have  hit  her  gait  be  now.  Begorra  but  they'll  jist  be 
wonderin'  what  they've  got!  Whoop!  An'  now  me 
wife  an'  childer  for  me,  an'  a  quiet  loife !  Hurroosh !  " 


XXXIX 
A  REALIZED  DREAM 

"T^R.   SINCLAIR,   I  owe  you  an  apology.     I 

I     M    have  a  letter  for  you  which  I  neglected  to 
-^■^^     deliver.     I   was   so  selfish   in  my  gladness 
yesterday  that  I  forgot  that  I  had  this  for  you." 

Sinclair  rose  from  where  he  sat  beside  his  patient 
on  the  broad  verandah  and  received  from  Mr.  Mac- 
Allister  the  letter.  It  was  addressed  in  the  same 
hand  as  a  little  note  he  had  carried  in  an  inner  pocket 
until  it  was  worn  to  fragments.  In  spite  of  his  efforts 
at  self-control,  the  hot  blood  rushed  to  his  face.  The 
keen  grey  eyes  had  a  humorous  twinkle. 

*'  I  shall  keep  Allister  company  for  a  while.  When 
you  are  ready,  I  should  like  to  have  a  few  minutes'  talk 
with  you." 

'*  Thank  you,  I'll  be  back  shortly,"  was  all  Sinclair 
could  say  as  he  hurried  to  his  room. 

It  had  been  a  bitter  disappointment  to  him  the  day 
before,  when  the  Hailoong's  mail  was  distributed, 
that  there  was  not  so  much  as  a  note  from  Hong-Kong 
for  him.  All  through  that  long,  lonesome  winter  he 
had  centred  his  anticipations  around  that  first  mail. 
Now  it  had  come.  There  were  other  letters  for  him. 
But  there  were  none  from  Hong-Kong.  It  was  not 
till  then  that  he  realized  how  much  Jessie  MacAllister 
had  been  in  his  thoughts  and  how  blank  life  would  be 
without  her. 

But,  with  the  stoicism  which  lay  hidden  under  the 
838 


A  REALIZED  DREAM  339 

easy  good-humour  of  his  surface  temperament,  he 
said  nothing  of  his  disappointment,  even  to  McLeod, 
and  went  about  his  duties  outwardly  as  cheerful  as 
usual.  He  did  not  know  how  many  letters  in  the 
same  handwriting  were  lying  at  Swatow  and  Amoy 
and  Foochow,  awaiting  an  opportunity  of  transmis- 
sion to  the  blockaded  Formosan  coast.  He  did  not 
know  of  this  letter,  sent  by  her  father's  hand,  that  it 
might  be  safely  delivered. 

That  letter  was  sufficient  reward  for  all  his  waiting 
and  disappointment.  It  was  so  tender,  so  trusting,  so 
full  of  longing  for  his  coming.  Words  which  had 
refused  to  leave  her  tongue  during  those  few  brief 
hours  of  intercourse  after  their  mutual  confessions 
flowed  easily  from  her  pen.  Again  the  wonder  came 
to  him  that  this  girl  who  wrote  to  him  with  such  con- 
fidence and  laid  bare  her  heart  to  him  should  be  the 
same  as  she  who  had  flouted  him  on  the  deck  of  the 
Hailoong  only  a  few  short  months  before.  He  had 
to  read  the  letter  again  and  again  and  look  yet  once 
more  at  the  signature — ''  Jessie  MacAllister,"  to  be 
sure. 

There  was  another  thought.  Her  father  must  know 
and  be  satisfied.    That  gave  him  no  little  comfort. 

But  with  this  he  suddenly  remembered  that  he  had 
promised  Mr.  MacAllister  to  be  back  shortly.  He 
had  no  idea  how  long  he  had  spent  reading  that  let- 
ter. He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  hurried  out  to  the 
verandah,  where  MacKay  had  joined  the  father  and 
son.  At  his  apology  for  being  longer  than  he  had 
expected  there  came  again  the  little  twinkle  in  the 
grey  eyes  and  the  quiet  reply: 

''  No  apologies  are  necessary.  I,  too,  have  not  found 
the  time  long." 


34?0  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

It  did  not  entirely  remove  Sinclair's  embarrassment. 
But  the  business  man  went  on  in  a  serious  tone : 

"  Dr.  Sinclair,  I  am  informed  by  Dr.  MacKay  that 
your  Church  has  refused  to  appoint  you  a  medical 
missionary." 

'*  Yes,  Mr.  MacAllister,  they  have  rejected  me. 
They  do  not  consider  that  I  am  sufficiently  devout 
or  sufficiently  orthodox  to  be  trusted  to  heal  the 
heathen." 

**  Yes !  Yes !  I  understand.  I  have  seen  a 
lot  of  this  in  the  church.  There  is  a  wrong 
standard.  A  devotion  and  spirituality  which  is 
too  deep  and  real  to  be  wordy  is  rejected,  and 
that  shallow,  spurious  kind  which  vents  itself  in 
talk  is  accepted.  A  man  who  says  nothing  but  sac- 
rifices himself  is  given  second  place,  and  he  who  does 
nothing  but  talk  of  self-sacrifice  is  put  first.  They 
are  less  concerned  about  orthodoxy  of  life  than  they 
are  about  orthodoxy  of  creed.  But  a  better  day  is 
coming.  These  things  will  right  themselves  by  and 
by.    In  the  meantime  you  want  work,  do  you  not?" 

"  I  certainly  do." 

"  There  is  a  scheme  I  wish  to  lay  before  you.  God 
has  just  given  me  the  greatest  joy  of  my  life.  My 
son,  my  Allister,  has  been  restored  to  me.  I  want  to 
establish  some  permanent  memorial  of  my  gratitude, 
something  which  will  be  of  use  and  do  good  to  men. 
It  was  by  a  doctor  that  my  son  was  saved  from  a 
cruel  death.  It  was  by  a  doctor  and  in  a  hospital  that 
he  was  nursed  back  to  health.  It  was  by  a  doctor  that 
he  has  been  restored  to  me,  and  will  be  restored  to 
his  mother  and  sister.  It  seems  to  me  that  I  could 
give  no  more  fitting  token  of  my  thankfulness  than 
to  erect  and  equip  a  hospital  and  ask  that  doctor  to 


A  REALIZED  DREAM  341 

take  charge  of  it.  Dr.  Sinclair,  will  you  accept  the 
position?  " 

"  Mr.  MacAllister,  such  a  position  has  been  the 
dream  of  my  life.     I  will  accept  it  gladly.'* 

"  I  thought  you  would.  Now  as  to  the  place.  Since 
it  was  in  North  Formosa  my  son's  life  was  saved,  it 
would  be  appropriate  that  in  North  Formosa  the  hos- 
pital should  be  built.  And  there  I  intended  to  build 
it  and  present  it  to  the  mission  of  the  Canadian 
Church.  But,  since  your  Church  has  refused  your 
application  on  what  are  to  me  entirely  insufficient 
grounds,  the  hospital  will  be  erected  in  Hong-Kong 
and  presented  to  one  of  the  missions  there.  In  all 
probability  you  will  be  able  to  do  as  great,  or  even 
a  greater,  work  there  than  here.  Would  you  be  agree- 
able to  that?" 

"  Quite.  I  had  hoped  to  be  able  to  work  under  the 
Church  in  which  I  was  trained  from  childhood.  But, 
since  it  has  rejected  me,  it  is  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  me  under  what  board  I  labour,  so  long  as  I  am 
doing  the  duty  set  before  me.  But  there  is  one  re- 
quest I  wish  to  make." 

"What  is  it?" 

**  I  wish  to  take  Sergeant  Gorman  with  me  as  chief 
of  the  staff  of  male  nurses  and  attendants,  whether 
native  or  foreign.  As  you  know,  he  is  a  Roman 
Catholic,  and  some  narrow-minded  people  may  make' 
objections." 

"  There  will  be  no  objections.  It  will  be  stipulated 
in  the  deed  of  gift." 


XL 
THE  COWARD 

APRIL  had  passed.  The  first  week  of  May  had 
come,  the  hot  May  of  the  tropics.  Yet  there 
^was  a  sweetness,  a  certain  morning  freshness 
about  it.  On  her  second  trip  after  the  blockade  the 
Hailoong  had  borne  back  to  Hong-Kong  a  Httle  group 
of  passengers.  They  were  Mr.  MacAllister,  his  son, 
and  Dr.  Sinclair. 

Sergeant  Gorman,  who  had  returned  to  Amoy  to 
his  family  by  the  previous  voyage  of  the  boat,  joined 
them  at  that  port  and  accompanied  them  to  Hong- 
Kong.  As  he  expressed  it  to  McLeod,  he  wanted 
"  jist  to  be  in  at  the  finish;  jist  to  see  the  docther 
fix  bayonets  an'  take  the  fort  wid  one  gallant 
charge,  an'  see  that  spalpeen  of  a  Carteret  scat- 
tered an'  runnin'  for  cover  in  total  rout  and  confu- 
shun." 

Towards  midnight  the  Hailoong  slipped  into  port. 
There  were  few  about  and  no  guests  in  the  rotunda 
or  corridors  of  the  hotel  to  whom  it  was  necessary  for 
Mr.  MacAllister  to  introduce  the  young  men  by  whom 
he  was  accompanied. 

In  the  reunion  which  followed  Mrs.  MacAllister 
forgot  for  the  time  her  opposition  to  the  friendship 
between  her  daughter  and  Sinclair.  Her  gratitude 
for  his  rescue  of  her  son  was  deep  and  sincere.  With 
all  the  warmth  of  her  Highland  nature  she  thanked 

342 


THE  COWARD  343 

him,  till  he  blushed  painfully  and  showed  an  embar- 
rassment under  praise  which  he  had  never  manifested 
in  the  most  trying  moments  of  the  ridicule  he  had  suf- 
fered when  they  were  first  acquainted. 

The  next  day  passed  like  a  dream  to  Sinclair.  Fa- 
ther and  mother  were  constantly  with  their  long-lost 
son.  Sinclair  and  Miss  MacAllister  were  left  much 
to  themselves.  In  some  way  during  those  seven  months 
of  separation  they  had  grown  acquainted  with  one 
another.  That  sacred  and  never-to-be-forgotten  hour 
in  which  they  had  confessed  their  love  had  found  them 
almost  strangers.  It  had  been  as  one  kneels  to  a  sov- 
ereign that  he  had  knelt  before  her  and  gave  her  hand 
the  kiss  of  homage.  It  was  with  the  grave  reverence 
of  a  sacred  rite  that  he  had  sealed  their  vows  of  love 
by  pressing  his  lips  to  hers. 

But  that  was  in  the  past  now.  Seven  months  had 
slowly  worn  away;  seven  months  in  which  thoughts 
had  been  busy.  And  ever  in  the  background  of  those 
thoughts  was  the  fact  that  they  loved  each  other,  and 
had  confessed  their  love,  and  neither  had  shrunk  from 
the  other  nor  repelled  a  caress.  The  passion,  the  aban- 
don of  love  had  grown  during  those  months  of  wait- 
ing.    It  knew  that  it  would  not  be  refused. 

"  Oh,  Donald,  I  have  been  so  weary  for  you,  so 
lonesome  and  weary!  I  have  dreamed  of  you  out 
there  under  the  rains,  among  the  wounded,  and  fac- 
ing the  bullets.  .  .  .  Donald,  I'm  ashamed.  I  know 
that  it  wasn't  brave.  But  I  couldn't  help  it.  Often 
and  often  I  cried  myself  to  sleep." 

Her  face  was  tear-wet  now  as  he  lifted  it  to  his. 
But  it  was  smiling  through  its  tears. 

"  Jessie,  it  was  the  thought  of  you  which  kept  me 
up.     It  was  because  of  you  that  I  stayed  at  work. 


3445  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

If  it  hadn't  been  for  you,  I  might  have  given  up  be- 
fore the  end  came.  ...  I  might  not  have  been  there 
when  Allister  fell." 

She  shuddered  at  the  thought  and  pressed  closer 
to  him.  But  Allister  was  safe,  and  the  suggestion  of 
what  might  have  been  now  only  served  as  a  stimulus 
to  her  love  for  the  man  to  whom  she  had  given  her 
heart  before  he  had  done  that  which  was  to  bind  her 
to  him  by  gratitude  as  well  as  by  love. 

But  her  mother  was  not  yet  ready  to  give  up  her 
project  of  marrying  her  daughter  to  the  Earl  of 
Lewesthorpe.  He  was  still  the  suitor  she  had  ac- 
cepted, if  her  daughter  had  not.  She  realized  very 
clearly  that  her  daughter  had  no  more  inclination 
towards  him  than  when  they  came  to  Hong-Kong. 
Indeed,  it  was  the  other  way.  On  more  than  one  oc- 
casion her  aversion  to  him  had  been  so  manifest  as 
to  cause  comment.  But  Mrs.  MacAllister  had  resolved 
to  have  her  own  way  and  gain  her  ambition.  Not 
even  gratitude  to  Dr.  Sinclair  for  his  inestimable  serv- 
ice could  bend  her  will. 

If  because  she  was  grateful  she  had  allowed  him 
some  liberty  that  day  without  her  watchful  presence, 
she  had  intended  that  evening  to  make  it  perfectly 
plain  that  Lord  Lewesthorpe  was  the  only  one  who 
would  be  countenanced  as  an  aspirant  for  her  hand. 
With  her  love  for  social  events,  and  a  touch  of  the 
melodramatic,  she  had  invited  a  very  few  very  select 
friends  for  the  evening.  Most  of  them  did  not  know 
that  she  had  a  son.  None  save  those  who  had  ac- 
companied him  from  Formosa  knew  that  her  son  was 
in  Hong-Kong. 

Of  course  Captain  Whiteley  and  Mr.  McLeod  were 
among  the  guests.     Her  husband,  son,  and  daughter 


THE  COWARD  345 

had  insisted  that  Sergeant  Gorman  should  be  one  of 
the  number.  Remembering  that  he  had  once  told  her 
that  he  was  the  son  of  an  Irish  gentleman,  she  con- 
sented.   Otherwise  it  was  to  be  a  surprise. 

It  was  a  surprise.  The  guests  arrived  one  by  one 
and  were  presented  to  Allister.  The  last  to  come  was 
the  lion  of  the  evening.  Mrs.  MacAllister  greeted 
him  effusively  and  conducted  him  to  where  her 
son  sat  in  a  great  easy-chair,  hidden  by  a  group  of 
guests. 

"  Allister,  my  son,  I  want  you  to  meet  one  of  our 
most  intimate  friends,  a  particular  friend  of  your  sis- 
ter, the  friend  of  whom  I  spoke  to  you  to-day,  his 
lordship,  the  Earl  of  Lewesthorpe." 

Allister  had  risen  to  his  feet.  The  two  young  men 
were  facing  each  other  in  silence.  The  young  aristo- 
crat's dark  countenance  turned  a  ghastly  yellow  and 
his  jaw  dropped.  Allister's  pale  cheeks  had  a  flush 
of  burning  red  and  his  great  dark  eyes  fairly  blazed 
with  anger. 

"  Carteret !    The  coward ! "  burst  from  his  lips. 

On  the  blanched  faces  of  the  guests  wonder  and 
consternation  were  written.  But  astonishment  held 
them  dumb.  Before  any  of  them  could  speak  Car- 
teret's ready  self-assurance  returned. 

*'  Lieutenant  MacAllister,"  he  said,  **  why  not  let 
by-gones  be  by-gones  ?  We  have  both  made  mistakes. 
We  have  both  suffered.  These  things  belong  to  the 
past.    Why  not  let  them  die,  and  start  afresh  ?  " 

"  If  it  were  only  the  past,  Carteret,  I  would  let 
them  die.  But  it  is  the  present.  You  were  a  coward 
in  the  past.    You  are  a  scoundrel  now." 

Sinclair  stepped  quickly  to  Allister's  side,  for  he 
saw  that  he  was  becoming  dangerously  excited.    Mrs. 


346  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

MacAllister  awoke  out  of  her  paralysis  of  surprise 
to  cry : 

"  Allister !  Allister,  my  son !  What  is  the  mean- 
ing of  this  ?  Has  the  fever  come  back  on  you  ?  Why 
do  you  insult  his  lordship  so?  What  is  the  meaning 
of  this?" 

"  Mother,"  he  said,  ''  it  is  not  fever.  It  is  cool  fact. 
That  is  the  man  who  ragged  me  all  through  my  serv- 
ice in  the  Guards.  That  is  one  of  the  men  who  in- 
sulted me  after  Tel-el-Kebir.  He  is  the  one  w^ho  was 
too  much  of  a  coward  either  to  take  a  thrashing  or 
to  fight,  and  Standish  was  shot.  That  is  the  man 
who  has  caused  me  to  be  an  exile  these  nearly  three 
years,  to  suffer  starvation  and  wounds  under  a  for- 
eign flag.  Yet  I  could  forgive  all  that,  as  I  have  for- 
given Standish.  But  knowing  that,  and  without  your 
knowing  it,  he  has  dared  to  speak  love  to  my  sister 
and  ask  her  hand  in  marriage.  I'll  never  forgive  him 
that.     Never !  " 

Drawing  herself  up  to  her  full  height,  Mrs.  MacAl- 
lister turned  on  her  lion.  Her  raven  black  hair,  her 
flashing  eyes,  her  high  colour  and  large,  strong  frame 
were  the  very  embodiment  of  the  fearless  spirit  of  her 
race: 

"  Lord  Lewesthorpe,  iss  thiss  true  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  apparent  that  I  am  not  welcome  here," 
he  replied.     "With  your  permission,  I'll  retire." 

"  Bedad,  an  ye'd  betther,  ye  cowardly  spalpeen !  " 

Gorman  had  made  one  quick  step  forward,  with  the 
evident  intention  of  helping  him  to  retire,  when  Sin- 
clair's iron  grasp  closed  on  his  shoulder. 

"You're  right,  docther;  I  was  forgettin'  mesclf." 

That  was  the  only  departure  Gorman  made  that 
evening  from  the  strictest  rules  of  the  conduct  to  be 


THE  COWARD  347 

expected  of  the  son  of  an  Irish  gentleman.  And  per- 
haps it  wasn't  a  departure,  either,  but  the  most  char- 
acteristic act  of  all.  In  any  case,  he  saw  "  that 
spalpeen  of  a  Carteret  scattered  an'  runnin'  for  cover 
in  total  rout  an'  confushun." 


XLI 
"GOOD  WILL  TOWARD  MEN" 

IT  was  Christmas  Day.  Not  Christmas  Day  of  the 
North,  with  its  clear  frosty  air,  its  robe  of  vir- 
gin snow,  its  furs,  its  prancing  horses,  and  tinkhng 
sleigh-bells.  It  was  Christmas  Day  in  the  tropics, 
with  a  summer  sky  and  summer  sun,  with  roses  bloom- 
ing and  rich  tropical  plants  spreading  their  huge  leaves 
and  casting  a  grateful  shade  in  the  botanical  gardens. 
A  slight  breeze  from  the  northeast  tempered  the 
warmth. 

It  was  a  high  day  in  Hong-Kong.  In  the  early 
forenoon  services  had  been  held  and  the  age-old  song 
had  been  sung. 

"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 

At  high  noon  in  the  Union  Church,  where  men  of 
many  creeds  worshipped  in  harmony.  Dr.  Donald  Sin- 
clair and  Miss  Jessie  MacAllister  were  married  with 
simple,  yet  solemn,  rites.  The  ceremony  passed  with- 
out unusual  incident,  save  that  Constance  Beauchamp 
just  missed  kissing  the  groom  before  he  had  time 
to  kiss  the  bride.  And  when  they  turned  to  pass  out 
of  the  church  Sergeant  Gorman,  in  a  stage  whisper, 
said  to  McLeod: 

**  Be  all  the  saints  above,  McLeod,  if  the  angels  in 
glory  look  anny  purtier  than  thim  two,  glory's  no  place 
for  you  an'  me." 

348 


"  GOOD  WILL  TOWARD  MEN  "         349 

In  the  afternoon  the  Allister  Thanksgiving  Hos- 
pital was  formally  opened  by  the  governor  of  the 
colony,  and  in  the  name  of  Him  v^ho  came  to  heal 
men's  diseases  it  v^^as  dedicated  to  the  work  of  heal- 
ing the  diseases  of  men. 

When  the  notables  had  dispersed  to  talk  of  the  mer- 
chant prince's  munificent  gift,  when  the  guard  of  hon- 
our had  marched  back  to  the  barracks,  and  the  music 
of  the  bands  had  died  away,  a  few  who  had  special 
interest  in  the  work,  or  had  come  from  far  to  be 
present  on  that  day,  still  strolled  through  the  long, 
cool  corridors,  the  well-furnished  wards,  and  the  high, 
centre-lighted  operating-room.  Consul  Beauchamp 
and  his  family  and  Dr.  MacKay  had  come  from  For- 
mosa to  be  present.  They  stood  with  the  donor,  his 
wife,  and  son. 

"  This  must  be  a  great  satisfaction  to  you,  Mr. 
MacAllister,"  the  consul  said. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Beauchamp.  I  never  before  knew  as  I 
know  now  that  the  pleasure  of  wealth  is  not  in  mak- 
ing or  keeping  money,  but  in  giving  it  away.  What 
do  you  think,  Dr.  MacKay  ?  " 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  that.  I  was  thinking  of  my 
little  hospital  with  its  poor  equipment  and  its  need 
of  a  doctor  to  take  charge.  I  am  not  covetous.  But 
I  cannot  help  thinking  that  this  hospital  and  the  doc- 
tor who  is  at  the  head  of  it  might  have  been  in  North 
Formosa,  where  it  is  needed  even  more  than  in  Hong- 
Kong.  But  there  was  no  vision,  and  my  people  must 
suffer." 

And  when  that  hospital  became  not  only  a  centre 
of  healing  but  developed  a  medical  college  in  connec- 
tion with  it,  when  the  doctor  at  the  head  of  it  grew 
to  be  such  an  authority  on  tropical  diseases  that  he 


350  THE  CALL  OF  THE  EAST 

was  called  to  England  to  be  dean  of  a  great  school 
of  tropical  medicine,  when  he  received  honours  from 
medical  colleges  and  societies  the  world  over  and  a 
knighthood  at  the  hands  of  his  sovereign,  those  who 
knew  him  often  thought  of  the  day  when  he  was  re- 
fused appointment  as  a  medical  missionary  in  the 
little  North  Formosa  Mission.     And  they  wondered. 

But  Dr.  Sinclair  was  not  thinking  of  that  then.  He 
had  been  showing  his  bride  the  great  building  her 
father  had  erected,  for  she  had  arrived  from  Englaid 
only  the  evening  before  and  had  not  found  an  oppor- 
tunity to  see  it.  Together  they  walked  on  the  deep, 
cool  upper  verandah  and  looked  out  over  the  glorious 
prospect  of  city  and  harbour,  mountain  and  sea.  Side 
by  side  they  stood  under  one  of  its  arches,  her  hand 
resting  lightly  in  his. 

"  It  is  all  so  fairy-like,"  he  said,  "  that  even  yet  I 
can  scarcely  persuade  myself  that  it  is  not  a  dream." 

''  It  is  a  dream,  Donald,  the  loveliest  dream  one 
could  wish.  But  what  is  best  about  it  is  that  it  is  a 
dream  of  delight  which  does  not  vanish  with  one's 
waking." 

"  To  me  the  strangest  thought  of  all  is  the  way  it 
was  brought  about.  I  left  home  not  knowing  where 
I  was  going,  with  only  a  vague  idea  that  I  might  find 
a  place  to  do  good  somewhere.  I  have  been  given  an 
appointment  beyond  my  fondest  imaginings.  What 
is  more  than  all  beside,  I  have  been  given  you." 

Behind  the  lattice-work  which  sheltered  one  end 
of  the  verandah  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  from 
the  gaze  of  the  inquisitive,  her  head  rested  on  his 
shoulder,  her  lips  were  lifted  to  his. 

"  Donald,"  she  said  softly,  *'  my  story  is  even 
stranger  than  yours.     I  came  to  the  East  with  little 


"  GOOD  WILL  TOWARD  MEN  "         351 

thought  of  anything  but  pleasure;  with  little  purpose 
in  life,  and  no  ambition  to  do  good.  I  have  been 
given  a  brother  and  a  husband,  love  and  a  life  to  live. 
I  did  not  deserve  it.    What  does  it  mean?  " 

"  It  means  that  there  is  a  hand  shaping  our  des- 
tinies, giving  us  a  work  to  do,  showing  us  a  path  to 
tread.  Are  we  willing  to  follow  the  leading  of  that 
hand,  Jessie?  " 

"  Yes,  Donald." 

The  measured  step  of  drilled  men  sounded  on  the 
steep  gravelled  road  below.  Sergeant  Gorman  and  a 
squad  of  the  ambulance  corps  he  had  already  trained 
were  bearing  an  injured  man  to  the  door.  Arm  in 
arm  Dr.  Sinclair  and  his  bride  walked  down  to  see  the 
first  patient  borne  in.  In  a  few  moments  more  his 
wedding  coat  was  thrown  off,  his  operator's  apron  and 
sleeves  slipped  on,  and  Sinclair  was  at  work. 

Thus  without  fuss  or  delay,  refusing  to  be  excused 
even  by  the  festivities  of  the  marriage-day,  the  Life- 
Healer  and  the  fair  woman  who  had  been  willing  to 
blend  her  destiny  with  his  together  entered  on  their 
life-long  labour  of  Good  Will  Toward  Men. 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


14  DAY  USE 

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